Amateur photo:
--- The storm's north-south dimension is about 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles); it is located at minus 36 degrees (planetocentric) latitude and 168 degrees west longitude. ---
Cassini (reprojected view):
- http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07789 - Storm at Night (Reprojected View)
- http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07788 - Storm at Night (Limb View)
- http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02166 - Lightning Sounds from Saturn (Audio)
Glad to know that Cassini is finally studying it! Rather unusual looking
storm structure, or at least it seems so for us Earth-bound creatures.
An earlier discussion and collection of amateur images of the storm
may be found here:
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=1963&view=findpost&p=38755
Dragon Storm part two?
--- The storm is in a similar location to the "Dragon" storm reported last year - http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050225.html - so it may be a reemergence of that storm or a new storm.
According to the RPWS data, the new storm is generating lightning flashes several times more frequently than the original Dragon storm, and the lightning is as much as five times stronger. At approximately the size of the continental U.S., the storm dwarfs terrestrial thunderstorms. Apparently, it is much fiercer as well -- radio signals from its lightning are more than 1,000 times greater than similar radio static from terrestrial storms. ---
- http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/Saturn_storm.html - Volunteers Help NASA Track Return of the Dragon
- http://spaceflightnow.com/cassini/060214lightning.html - Cassini orbiter listens to lightning storm on Saturn
First thought: OH NOES!! Second thought after opening: Ohhhh Saturn!
Topic title is quite alarming if you don't read the fourm location first!
Science/Astronomy:
* Biggest Lightning Storm Ever Recorded on Saturn
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060214_saturn_lightning.html
Scientists are tracking the strongest lighting storm ever detected at Saturn.
The storm is larger than the continental United States, with electrical activity
1,000 times stronger than the lightning on Earth.
I think this could be another shot of it:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/raw/raw-images-details.cfm?feiImageID=63378
Quoting from the discussion in the http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=1963&pid=41233&st=0entry41233:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/raw/raw-images-details.cfm?feiImageID=63537
Another nice view
The Storm Rages On
Thu, 30 Mar 2006 - This Cassini photograph shows half of Saturn shrouded in shadow, with its moon Tethys hanging in the foreground. A gigantic storm that was first sighted in January 2006 continues to rage in Saturn's southern hemisphere. This image was taken on February 18, 2006, when Cassini was 2.8 million kilometers (1.7 million miles) from Saturn.
http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/saturnian_storm_continues.html?3032006
Saturn's Speedy Spin Sparks Spectacular Storms
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Saturns_Speedy_Spin_Sparks_Spectacular_Storms.html
Cassini Controllers Overcome Software Glitch
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Cassini_Controllers_Overcome_Software_Glitch.html
SATURN DAILY
- Saturn Storms Dwarf Earth Hurricanes In Size And Longevity
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Saturn_Storms_Dwarf_Earth_Hurricanes_In_Size_And_Longevity.html
Pasadena CA (SPX) Apr 20, 2006 - Viewed from space, hurricanes on Earth and the
huge atmospheric disturbances observed on Saturn look similar, but their
differences are greater, offering intriguing insights into the inner workings of
the ringed world currently being investigated by NASA's Cassini spacecraft.
Looking to the last raw Cassini images of Saturn atmosphere, I was intrigued by the presence of many bright spot apparently located only in the planet, especially close to terminator and more visible in the longer-exposure MT3 filtered images; absence of these spots in the dark background sky suggest they could be real features, perhaps lighting! (look at http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/raw/raw-images-details.cfm?feiImageID=73931, for example).
In order to be sure, I compared two distinct MT3 images and discovered that most bright points share exactly same positions, suggesting they are sensor related hot spots; here the result of two images subtraction:
Very fun, Bob . And thanks for the infos, ugordan.. I didn't know about HAL filter, anyway your explaination about bright spots sounds right (and in fact I was very skeptic about lighting explaination).
On May,08 Cassini Narrow-field camera taken many images of saturn atmosphere through green and CB3 filters, from about 2.8 million Km.
This is a stitch of 5 CB3 images (better showing atmospheric features):
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