Buzz
Many people discuss the violent and extreme weather that sweeps across our humble planet, and they are correct; it can indeed be both destructive and awe-inspiring. However, our so-called storms are nothing compared to the cataclysmic cyclones that rage through the thick atmospheres of gas giants or traverse the surface of Mars.
Thanks to cutting-edge satellite imaging and numerous challenging missions throughout the solar system, astronomers have managed to observe and analyze the ferocious hurricanes that emerge from the swirling atmospheres, capturing breathtaking images that continue to expand our understanding of these magnificent planets.
10. Saturn's Pink-Hued Tempest
When thinking about space hurricanes, your thoughts are likely to immediately turn to Jupiter’s colossal Great Red Spot, and for good reason; that storm is truly monumental. Jupiter's atmosphere is riddled with hundreds of storms of all sizes. However, Saturn’s cloud-covered exterior is even more captivating and visually spectacular. One of Saturn’s most iconic images is of the Great White Spot, a storm ravaging its upper atmosphere and leaving destruction in its wake.
Although it might sound impossible, there’s an even more striking image—Saturn's north pole vortex. Encased within a mysterious hexagonal cloud formation (which we’ll explore further later) and boasting an eye that stretches across 2,010 kilometers (1,250 miles), this mesmerizing hurricane produces wind speeds exceeding 540 kilometers per hour (330 mph).
The stunning image above was captured by the Cassini mission in 2013, after several years of orbiting the gas giant, and represents just one of many breathtaking photos taken during the mission’s highly successful journey.
9. The Indestructible Venusian Dual Vortices
During a 2006 mission to Earth’s twin planet, the European Space Agency’s Venus Express satellite spotted what seemed to be a cyclone spinning above Venus’s south pole. What’s even more intriguing is that a similar storm was detected over Venus’s north pole in 1979 by NASA’s Pioneer mission.
As planetary scientist Itziar Garate-Lopez from the University of the Basque Country in Spain states: “Both vortices are likely permanent features in Venus’s atmosphere.” Further studies revealed that the vortex constantly disintegrates and reforms approximately every 2.2 days: “The vortex is never annihilated, but continuously evolves in its morphology.”
The storm over Venus’s south pole is four times larger than anything observed on Earth and reaches an astonishing height of 20 kilometers (12 miles). (That’s more than twice the height of Mt. Everest.) If you were somehow indestructible and could stand beneath the clouds at Venus’s south pole, you wouldn’t experience any rain or wind from the storm. This is because the cyclone sits 42 kilometers (26 miles) above Venus’s surface, and due to the planet’s extreme heat, rain can only form within 35 kilometers (22 miles) of the ground before it evaporates. So, instead of being overwhelmed by this destructive storm, all you would witness are massive, swirling clouds far above you.
8. Neptune's Irregular Great Dark Spots
Neptune’s surface, like a teenager, is occasionally troubled by Great Dark Spots (GDS). First identified in 1989 by NASA’s Voyager 2 space probe, the initial GDS was a cyclone the size of Earth, ravaging Neptune’s southern hemisphere with winds reaching 2,400 kilometers per hour (1,500 mph), the fastest winds ever recorded in the solar system.
Unlike some extraterrestrial storms, Great Dark Spots are not permanent. This was evidenced by the Hubble Telescope in 1994, when it failed to detect the famed GDS that Voyager 2 had photographed. However, all was not lost, as Hubble did capture a different GDS on Neptune, this time in the northern hemisphere.
These storms are somewhat mysterious, as they move in the opposite direction of Neptune’s axial rotation. Like other cyclones, these “spots” are caused by significant temperature differences within the planet’s atmosphere, yet the extremely high wind speeds found on Neptune remain unexplained.
7. Saturn’s Dragon Storm
In the southern hemisphere, deep within the legendary Storm Alley, lies the mighty Dragon Storm. Captured by the Cassini mission in 2004, this incredible thunderstorm stretches over 3,200 kilometers (2,000 miles) – larger than the entire continental United States – and generates lightning bolts that are 1,000 times more powerful than those on Earth. These bolts, though never directly seen, were detected through strong radio signals.
However, Cassini wasn’t the first to spot this storm. Both of the Voyager spacecrafts also picked up intense radio disturbances while passing over Storm Alley, confirming that this storm has been steadily brewing beneath Saturn’s atmosphere, occasionally flaring up into a powerful thunderstorm.
In addition to the stunning visuals, Cassini also observed several dark spots emerging from Storm Alley as the Dragon Storm intensified. These spots moved across Saturn’s surface, sometimes merging or dissipating into the atmosphere. These events highlight how powerful storms contribute to the dynamic atmospheric features of gas giants, driving immense currents and creating the breathtaking cloud formations we see today.
6. The Uncommon Martian Spiral Storms
In 1999, a massive storm was spotted above Mars's polar ice caps. This storm, which was more than four times the size of Texas and engulfed the entire northern polar region of the planet, lasted only a single Earth day before completely dissipating. While such storms are rare on Mars, they have been captured on film before, with an earlier sighting in 1978 by Viking I, though that event wasn’t as large as the one observed by Hubble.
The storm observed by Hubble is believed to have had at least three cloud bands arranged counterclockwise in a spiral pattern, revolving around a hurricane-like eye roughly the size of Lake Ontario. Both of the recorded Martian storms took place during the summer in the northern hemisphere, a crucial period when Mars's seasonal carbon dioxide polar cap completely sublimates (melts), leaving behind a frozen water cap. Comparable storms have been observed in our own polar regions, with some even matching the size of those on Mars.
5. The Enigmatic Soot Storms of Titan
Titan, the largest of Saturn's moons, stands out as one of the most fascinating moons in our solar system when it comes to weather patterns. With an atmosphere made up primarily of nitrogen and a touch of methane, it bears some resemblance to Earth's atmosphere—except for the fact that breathing on Titan is an impossibility. Titan's surface is home to methane-filled rivers and lakes, surrounded by towering mountains and vast dunes. These dunes, in particular, have sparked significant curiosity among scientists.
Wind simulations of Titan's surface suggest that its dunes should point westward, yet they are mysteriously aligned eastward. Some theories propose that Saturn’s strong gravitational forces could be influencing these winds, but the reason why they face east remains unexplained.
Titan’s upper atmosphere experiences fierce methane storms that blow eastward, dominating the wind patterns and, in turn, directing the flow of the dunes. This is further supported by findings of an unusual soot-like substance in the sand, formed by the breakdown of methane in the upper atmosphere. These storms are so intense that they essentially 'rain' soot down to the surface. This adds a whole new dimension to the phrase, “It’s raining cats and dogs out there.”
4. The Enigmatic Eye of Saturn
This enormous vortex, located 32 kilometers (20 miles) above Saturn’s south pole, spans about two-thirds of Earth’s diameter. It resembles a dark, mysterious eye. While it might appear to be a typical giant hurricane, its behavior is actually very different from that of a hurricane.
While hurricanes on Earth drift across the ocean, this particular storm on Saturn is stationary, essentially locked around the south pole. Additionally, Saturn doesn’t have any oceans to begin with.
As if the storm weren’t captivating enough, it has provided astronomers with further insights into Saturn’s atmospheric conditions. Similar to Earth’s storms, the eye of this vortex is cloud-free, which allows for deeper visual and infrared mapping. Thanks to this, infrared data from the Keck I telescope in Hawaii revealed a mysterious heat source over Saturn’s south pole. Cassini, orbiting above the storm’s eye, confirmed a small but notable temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius (4°F). Dr. Richard Achterberg from NASA explains that this warming is due to "the winds decreasing with height and the atmosphere sinking, compressing, and heating over the South Pole."
Cassini will continue its observation of Saturn’s south pole, carefully monitoring the storm's evolution through the different seasons of the ringed planet.
3. The Dust Devils Roaming Mars
Dust devils, the smaller and less dangerous cousins of tornadoes, are a common feature in Earth’s deserts, and they’re also found on Mars. This makes perfect sense, considering dust devils form in hot, dry, and calm areas where a patch of ground heats up quicker than the surrounding environment, making Mars an ideal breeding ground for these dust storms.
These Martian dust devils are up to 10 times taller than their much smaller Earth counterparts, and in some cases, they can be as much as 50 times wider, which could pose a threat to the valuable rovers and probes we frequently send to the Red Planet. However, in a stroke of good fortune, these dust devils have been more beneficial than dangerous, as in 2005, a nearby dust devil blew away a significant amount of dust and debris from the Spirit rover’s solar panels, instantly boosting its power and allowing it to resume its mission.
Numerous Martian dust devils have been photographed and filmed.
2. Saturn’s Mesmerizing Hexagon
Arguably the most awe-inspiring and enigmatic vortex in the solar system, Saturn’s hexagon continues to captivate all who observe its grandeur. Spanning an area large enough to engulf four Earths and taking more than 10 hours for one rotation, this colossal storm and its peculiar shape invite questions and fascination.
Luckily, science has unlocked the mystery and even managed to recreate the hexagonal phenomenon in a laboratory setting. So, how does this incredible storm form and persist? The hexagon exists in a region of Saturn’s atmosphere where there is a vast contrast in the speed of the atmospheric winds. The storm arose in an area of chaotic flow, where it became trapped between two rotating wind currents, each moving at different speeds around the planet. The vortex at the top of Saturn’s north pole (within the hexagon) spins at a different rate than the winds surrounding the hexagon, creating this magnificent storm formation.
Given that the hexagon was first observed in the 1980s and revisited in 2006, it's reasonable to assume that it has been present for centuries, making it a truly remarkable and enduring storm.
1. Oval Ba, Jupiter’s Little Red Spot
While everyone is familiar with Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, have you heard of Red Spot Jr.? Even more fascinating, astronomers were able to witness its formation in the year 2000. Over the course of several years, three smaller white spots that had been present for decades gradually merged into two, and eventually into a single giant storm, although not as massive as the Great Red Spot.
After a few years, the smaller white spot began to undergo a transformation. In a span of one month, it shifted from white (November 2005) to a dull brown (December 2005). Over the course of several additional months, it ultimately took on the signature brick red hue. While the exact process behind the color change is still uncertain, astronomers believe that these storms lift material from beneath the cloud layers and into the higher atmosphere, where it interacts with solar ultraviolet radiation, leading to a chemical reaction that results in the color change we observe today.
Although color changes in Jovian white spots have been documented before, none have endured as long as Oval Ba. This raises the possibility that this could develop into a worthy successor to the Great Red Spot, which has been active for over 300 years. Not only have we witnessed the remarkable formation of Jupiter’s Little Red Spot, but also its color transition and ongoing growth into what may one day become Jupiter’s Greater Red Spot.
+ Neptune’s Scooter
Blasting across Neptune’s surface at a mind-boggling 1,900 kilometers per hour (1,200 mph), this swift storm has earned the name 'Scooter.' It completes a full orbit around the planet’s circumference in just 16 hours. Considering Neptune’s size, which is four times that of Earth, this is no small feat. Similar to the Great Dark Spots, Scooter was spotted by the Voyager missions in 1989 and is immortalized in the stunning photograph above. The picture captures three distinct features: the Great Dark Spot, The Wizard’s Eye, and Scooter. Astronomers struck gold with this rare shot, as these three phenomena travel at different speeds, making it a fortunate moment to capture them all in one image.
The origin of Scooter and the reason for its remarkable speed remain unsolved mysteries. However, scientists speculate that it could be a rising plume from Neptune's lower atmosphere.
