March 28, 2007: Hexagon on Saturn - Page 3

xoxoxoBruce · 03-29-2007, 02:58 PM

So what causes a 60 mile high sine wave around the pole? Does it extend to, or close to, the surface? Is the cloud mass greater, closer to the pole, causing a sine wave where the boundary lies?

That's the trouble with space, or science in general, every time you come up with a good answer, it just creates more questions.

BigV · 03-29-2007, 03:08 PM

It's not a sine wave. It's the result of the viscous fluid (the atmosphere) lagging behind the spinning container (the planet)*. The shape is a ... mathematical coincidence. Rather, our perception of some meaningful pattern is the coincidence. The shape is just the math and physics.

* Or just lagging compared to the parts of the atmosphere that are spinning at different rates. Similar phenomena have been observed in the eyes of terrestrial hurricanes. I provided a good link above.

edit: No, I haven't recently returned from a vacation on Saturn, Uranus (or anyone else's for that matter... ha ha)

Clodfobble · 03-29-2007, 03:33 PM

But a sine wave is nothing but a shape too, really... it doesn't imply a specific medium or source or anything like that.

03-29-2007, 04:04 PM

Alien metal concert.

Cloud · 03-29-2007, 05:48 PM

love the skulls!

Kagen4o4 · 04-03-2007, 05:46 AM

APoD finally got around to it. probably influenced by the cellar

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070403.html

xoxoxoBruce · 04-03-2007, 07:45 PM

The movie clip shows the inside and out side of the hex rotating at the same relative speed.

juggle5 · 04-07-2007, 10:46 AM

I think it's a polar jet stream. The earth's northern hemisphere jet stream often falls into stable 4-wave and 5-wave patterns lasting several weeks, 4-wave most common in summer and 5-wave in winter. My meteorology professor said that six and seven wave patterns happened but were very unstable. I guess a six wave pattern on Saturn is very stable.

milkfish · 04-08-2007, 10:56 AM

Does the Earth's northern hemisphere jet stream also have skulls in it? Like around Iceland?

xoxoxoBruce · 04-08-2007, 08:55 PM

Yes, although some are being used.

celina · 04-10-2007, 07:12 PM

great pics.

DanaC · 04-10-2007, 07:31 PM

Fascinating. The sciencey stuff kind of lost me....I never could get my head around trig. I mean....doing some of the equations with a log book as per high school exercises I could just about manage, but I could never visualise what it was I was doing. I just followed the formula I'd been given. It was, and is, meaningless to me as applied to the real world.

Quote:

What do you call a mushroom that takes you out and feeds you drinks?...... A fungi to be with.

Aheh.

Slight · 04-08-2010, 07:15 PM

I saw this Science article on /. that shows how to recreate this 6 wave pattern in the lab. I found this quote from the article quite telling about the fact that other people like @juggle5 have seen this stuff before:

Quote:

“Most planetary scientists are not aware of how ubiquitous these sorts of patterns are in fluid dynamics.” -Anna Barbosa Aguiar

03-29-2007, 02:58 PM	#1
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	So what causes a 60 mile high sine wave around the pole? Does it extend to, or close to, the surface? Is the cloud mass greater, closer to the pole, causing a sine wave where the boundary lies? That's the trouble with space, or science in general, every time you come up with a good answer, it just creates more questions. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

03-29-2007, 03:08 PM	#2
BigV Goon Squad Leader Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 27,063	It's not a sine wave. It's the result of the viscous fluid (the atmosphere) lagging behind the spinning container (the planet). The shape is a ... mathematical coincidence. Rather, our perception of some meaningful pattern is the coincidence. The shape is just the math and physics. Or just lagging compared to the parts of the atmosphere that are spinning at different rates. Similar phenomena have been observed in the eyes of terrestrial hurricanes. I provided a good link above. edit: No, I haven't recently returned from a vacation on Saturn, Uranus (or anyone else's for that matter... ha ha) __________________ Be Just and Fear Not.

03-29-2007, 03:33 PM	#3
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	But a sine wave is nothing but a shape too, really... it doesn't imply a specific medium or source or anything like that. __________________ My book My other book My spirit animal

03-29-2007, 05:48 PM	#5
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	love the skulls! __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

04-03-2007, 05:46 AM	#6
Kagen4o4 The Sheriff of Nothingland Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Melbourne, Aus Posts: 1,794	APoD finally got around to it. probably influenced by the cellar http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070403.html __________________ something we both can enjoy??

03-29-2007, 04:04 PM	#4
rkzenrage Guest Posts: n/a	Alien metal concert.

04-03-2007, 07:45 PM	#7
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	The movie clip shows the inside and out side of the hex rotating at the same relative speed. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

04-07-2007, 10:46 AM	#8
juggle5 Retired Grizzled Geezer Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Missouri Posts: 3	I think it's a polar jet stream. The earth's northern hemisphere jet stream often falls into stable 4-wave and 5-wave patterns lasting several weeks, 4-wave most common in summer and 5-wave in winter. My meteorology professor said that six and seven wave patterns happened but were very unstable. I guess a six wave pattern on Saturn is very stable. __________________ Juggle5

04-08-2007, 10:56 AM	#9
milkfish A serene breakdown Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Northern NJ, USA Posts: 266	Does the Earth's northern hemisphere jet stream also have skulls in it? Like around Iceland? __________________ A genius is one who can do anything except make a living. - Joey Lauren Adams

04-08-2007, 08:55 PM	#10
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Yes, although some are being used. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

04-10-2007, 07:12 PM	#11
celina Fellow-Commoner Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 10	great pics.

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