Space, the final frontier

Jupiter may be the stormiest place in the Solar System, but Saturn's no slouch either. A new study has found that the ringed giant also has persistent megastorms that can last a century and leave deep atmospheric scars that last much longer.

An analysis of radio waves emitted by Saturn conducted by a team of astronomers led by Cheng Li of the University of Michigan has revealed long-lasting signatures of giant storms, including equatorial storms that took place hundreds of years ago.

This is a fascinating insight into the dynamics of Saturn, and can help us figure out the cause of the strange megastorms that rage every few decades...