Hexagon on Saturn

Photo:  NASA, ESA

This unusual hexagon is a weird atmospheric feature of the planet Saturn.  The picture was taken by the Cassini space probe, a joint effort between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).  Scientists used the onboard Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer to peer 47 km into the atmosphere.  The blue area is electrically charged due to the interaction of the solar wind with Saturn's magnetic field.  The result is similar to Earth's Northern Lights (and Southern Lights for those of you in the southern hemisphere).  The red areas indicate heat from below while the dark areas are clouds blocking the heat. 

Oddly enough, experiments with spinning pails of water here on Earth have been able to replicate this sort of shape.  Cool!