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Collection:
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NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
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Title:
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Saturn's Hot Spot
Title
Saturn's Hot Spot
Title
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Original Caption Released with Image:
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This is the sharpest image of Saturn's temperature emissions taken from the ground; it is a mosaic of 35 individual exposures made at the W.M. Keck I Observatory, Mauna Kea, Hawaii on Feb. 4, 2004.
The images to create this mosaic were taken with infrared radiation. The mosaic was taken at a wavelength near 17.65 microns and is sensitive to temperatures in Saturn's upper troposphere. The prominent hot spot at the bottom of the image is right at Saturn's south pole. The warming of the southern hemisphere was expected, as Saturn was just past southern summer solstice, but the abrupt changes in temperature with latitude were not expected. The tropospheric temperature increases toward the pole abruptly near 70 degrees latitude from 88 to 89 Kelvin (-301 to -299 degrees Fahrenheit) and then to 91 Kelvin (-296 degrees Fahrenheit) right at the pole.
Ring particles are not at a uniform temperature everywhere in their orbit around Saturn. The ring particles are orbiting clockwise in this image. Particles are coldest just after having cooled down in Saturn's shadow (lower left). As they orbit Saturn, the particles increase in temperature up to a maximum (lower right) just before passing behind Saturn again in shadow.
A small section of the ring image is missing because of incomplete mosaic coverage during the observing sequence.
Original_Caption_Rel eased_with_Image
This is the sharpest image of Saturn's temperature emissions taken from the ground; it is a mosaic of 35 individual exposures made at the W.M. Keck I Observatory, Mauna Kea, Hawaii on Feb. 4, 2004.
The images to create this mosaic were taken with infrared radiation. The mosaic was taken at a wavelength near 17.65 microns and is sensitive to temperatures in Saturn's upper troposphere. The prominent hot spot at the bottom of the image is right at Saturn's south pole. The warming of the southern hemisphere was expected, as Saturn was just past southern summer solstice, but the abrupt changes in temperature with latitude were not expected. The tropospheric temperature increases toward the pole abruptly near 70 degrees latitude from 88 to 89 Kelvin (-301 to -299 degrees Fahrenheit) and then to 91 Kelvin (-296 degrees Fahrenheit) right at the pole.
Ring particles are not at a uniform temperature everywhere in their orbit around Saturn. The ring particles are orbiting clockwise in this image. Particles are coldest just after having cooled down in Saturn's shadow (lower left). As they orbit Saturn, the particles increase in temperature up to a maximum (lower right) just before passing behind Saturn again in shadow.
A small section of the ring image is missing because of incomplete mosaic coverage during the observing sequence.
Original Caption Released with Image
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL
Image Credit
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Produced By:
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JPL
Produced_By
JPL
Produced By
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Mission:
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Keck Observatory
Mission
Keck Observatory
Mission
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Spacecraft:
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Keck Telescope 1
Spacecraft
Keck Telescope 1
Spacecraft
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Target Name:
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Saturn
Target_Name
Saturn
Target Name
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Is a satellite of:
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Sol (our sun)
Is_a_satellite_of
Sol (our sun)
Is a satellite of
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Instrument:
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Infrared Radiometer
Instrument
Infrared Radiometer
Instrument
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Product Size:
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631 samples x 351 lines
Product_Size
631 samples x 351 lines
Product Size
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facet_what:
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Sun
facet_what
Sun
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Saturn
facet_what
Saturn
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Keck Observatory
facet_what
Keck Observatory
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Keck Telescope 1
facet_what
Keck Telescope 1
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Infrared Radiometer
facet_what
Infrared Radiometer
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Saturn
facet_where
Saturn
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Hawaii
facet_where
Hawaii
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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Image #:
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PIA07008
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UID:
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SPD-PHOTJ-PIA07008
UID
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA07008
UID
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orignial url:
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orignial_url
orignial url
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