Mysterious 6-Sided Cloud Over Saturn

Mar. 29- KGO (KGO) -- Just when you think you've seen everything in nature - a new surprise pops up. This time, it's the north pole of Saturn, where the Cassini spacecraft has sent back new pictures of a storm that is more than out of this world.

Ever since the Cassini spacecraft arrived at Saturn three years ago, it has sent back stirring, other worldly views, like the planet's rings eclipsing its moons. But now, the scientific community is buzzing about new infrared video of a polar storm on that planet. The hexagonal shapes of the clouds keep going around and around.

Jeff Hollingsworth, Ph.D., NASA Scientist: "It's strange -- this hexagon form is peculiar."

Jeff Moore, Ph.D., NASA Planetary Geologist: "That's puzzling."

Mark Marley, Ph.D. Giant Planet Scientist: "It's big enough to put four earths side-by-side, 15,000 miles across. And the winds are moving at hundreds of miles an hour."

It's not unprecidented to find geometry in nature -- hexagons are usually crystalline. But in an atmosphere completely and utterly baffling.

Jeff Moore, Ph.D., NASA Planetary Geologist: "The hexagon in the polar reaches of Saturn is mysterious."

This is not the first time a space craft has sent back unusual pictures the solar system. In fact, scientists have a long laundry list of the unexplainable. Venus, for instance, contains a vortex near it's south pole.

Jeff Hollingsworth, Ph.D., NASA Scientist: "It actually has two centers, it's like a double eye system."

Jupiter has a massive storm called the giant red spot. It is probably a vent for heat from deeper in the atmosphere.

Jeff Moore, Ph.D., NASA Planetary Geologist: "In the 1930's they thought it was some big thing floating beneath the clouds."

Above Mars in 1976 the Viking space craft photographed what appeared to be a face on the planet. Believers in UFO's had a fun with that one.

Jeff Moore, Ph.D., NASA Planetary Geologist: "Well they atleast thought it was an artifact, like pyramids on earth."

But alas, further study revealed nothing more than erosion on a mountain. One mystery down and now a new one to solve -- hexagons in Saturn's clouds.

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