GoKawiilHubble Spots New Decagon-Shaped Cloud Pattern at Saturn's South Pole
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have identified a ten-sided cloud formation encircling Saturn's south pole, a counterpart to the long-known hexagon at the planet's north pole. The decagon, detailed in a new Science Advances study, has sides roughly 16,800 kilometers long and sits near a jet stream blowing close to 260 miles per hour, even though the shape itself drifts at less than 6 mph.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
For decades researchers hunted for a southern match to the iconic northern hexagon but were stymied by Saturn's axial tilt, which kept the pole obscured from Earth for long stretches. The discovery gives scientists a fresh, contrasting data point for understanding how giant planets sustain such oddly stable, geometric atmospheric patterns over vast timescales.
- Hubble imaged a new 10-sided cloud structure at Saturn's south pole.
- It parallels the famous hexagon seen at Saturn's north pole since 1980.
- The pattern moves far slower than the powerful jet stream that surrounds it.
Celestron NexStar 6SE Telescope — Hubble spotted a 10-sided cloud pattern on Saturn, but you can see the planet's rings yourself with the Celestron NexStar 6SE. Its computerized GoTo mount locates Saturn for you and tracks it across the sky, and the single-arm design packs down for backyard or dark-sky trips.
See Celestron NexStar 6SE Telescope on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: wired.com — Jorge Garay, 2026-09-04
Published there as: “What the Heck? Another Perfect Geometric Shape Has Been Detected on Saturn”
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