NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope detects a giant, evolving atmospheric pattern encircling Saturn’s south pole. The feature is described as a large, regular 10-sided (decagon) wave in Saturn’s upper atmosphere.
The discovery is significant because it represents the first time scientists report a large, regular-sided jet or wave pattern in Saturn’s southern hemisphere. Both outlets describe the pattern as strikingly similar in overall appearance to Saturn’s well-known north-polar hexagon, which is also a regular-sided atmospheric structure. At the same time, they note that the decagon is distinct, suggesting it is not simply a mirrored copy but rather a different, developing phenomenon.
Phys.org adds that the wave appears to evolve over time, pointing to an active atmospheric process rather than a static feature. NASA’s report focuses on the observational finding of the decagon itself, reinforcing that Hubble’s imagery provides the evidence for the newly identified south-polar structure.
