A decades-old mystery about Saturn has been solved by the James Webb Space Telescope. Researchers found that the planet's changing 'rotation rate' was never due to speeding up or slowing down.
Instead, powerful winds high in Saturn's atmosphere are responsible for the perceived variation. The telescope's unprecedented observations revealed a self-sustaining cycle of heating and electrical currents.
Saturn's northern lights actively heat the atmosphere, creating winds that generate electrical currents. These currents then power the aurora all over again, perpetuating the cycle.
This discovery resolves a long-standing puzzle for planetary scientists. It also demonstrates the unique observational power of Webb for studying gas giants.
The findings were published by ScienceDaily based on recent research. Further studies could explore similar phenomena on other planets.