Huge storm on Saturn observed by ESO's Very Large Telescope

Thermal infrared images of Saturn from the VISIR instrument on ESO’s VLT (centre and right) and an amateur visible-light image (left) from Trevor Barry (Broken Hill, Australia) obtained on 19 January 2011 during the mature phase of the northern storm. The second image is taken at a wavelength that reveals the structures in Saturn’s lower atmosphere, showing the churning storm clouds and the central cooler vortex. The third image is sensitive to much higher altitudes in Saturn’s normally peaceful stratosphere, where we see the unexpected beacons of infrared emission flanking the central cool region over the storm.

Credit:

ESO/University of Oxford/L. N. Fletcher/T. Barry

Over de afbeelding

Id:eso1116a
Type:Observatie
Publicatiedatum:19 mei 2011 20:00
Gerelateerde berichten:eso1116
Grootte:1198 x 774 px

Over het object

Naam:Saturn
Type:Solar System : Planet : Type : Gas Giant
Solar System : Planet : Feature : Atmosphere : Storm
Categorie:Solar System

Image Formats

Grote JPEG
92,7 KB

Kleuren & filters

BandGolflengteTelescoop
Infrarood
Mid-IR
8.6 μmVery Large Telescope
VISIR
Infrarood
Mid-IR
18 μmVery Large Telescope
VISIR