The Atmosphere of Saturn Could be Home to Helium Rain - The Cosmic Companion May 7, 2021
Exploring the hidden atmosphere of Saturn using computer models and data from the suicide plunge of Cassini
Within the atmosphere of Saturn, helium rain might explain one of the great mysteries of the gas giant.
Saturn, the second-largest planet in our solar system, presents a myriad of mysteries for astronomers seeking to understand this gas giant. An atmosphere several times deeper than the Earth is wide both provides opportunity for complex physics and chemistry, as well as forming a shroud keeping these processes frustratingly invisible to astronomers.
Simulations recently conducted at Johns Hopkins University suggest intriguing processes happening beneath the cloudy, outer layer of the Ringed Planet.
“By studying how Saturn formed and how it evolved over time, we can learn a lot about the formation of other planets similar to Saturn within our own solar system, as well as beyond it,” explains Dr. Sabine Stanley, a planetary physicist at Johns Hopkins University.
Read more: https://thecosmiccompanion.net/the-atmosphere-of-saturn-could-be-home-to-helium-rain
Join us on Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion starting June 1, when we will visit with Professor Sabine Stanley of Johns Hopkins University, talking about this fascinating study.
Check out the amazing lineup of guests coming up on Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion!
May 11 (s4/e19): Dr. Jack Hughes, astrophysicist at Rutgers University, discussing new findings about supernovae.
May 18 (s4/e20): NASA’s Scott Lambros, Instrument Systems Manager for the James Webb Space Telescope, tells us about this remarkable observatory.
May 25 (s4/e21): The Interstellar probe – exploring space between the stars with Dr. Elena Provornikova from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
June 1 (s4/e22): ~just added~ Using computer modeling to peer inside the atmosphere of Saturn with Dr. Sabine Stanley of Johns Hopkins University.
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