Saturn Sept 22nd 2021 in good seeing

[Quark (Trevor)]

Imaged Saturn September 22nd in good seeing covering 1 hr 41 min’s of Saturn rotation. Have very good data at all wavelengths with the best RGB’s I have produced this apparition.
All wavelengths resolved discrete small scale detail rather well. The 685nm IR data resolves two bright spots leading a dark spot on the edge of the NPR with the dark spot at approx Lat+65.3 L3 44 and bright spots at approx Lat++63.9 L3 33.8 & Lat+64.2 L3 22.5. The IR data also resolves a prominent mid-latitude bright spot at approx Lat+29.4 l3 60.5
The RGB data resolves a dark spot leading a bright spot on the edge of the NPR but they are at different co-ordinates to the features resolved in the IR. The dark spot is at approx Lat+64.8 L3 24.7 with a bright spot at Lat+65 L3 32.7 The RGB data resolves one of the ripples on the Southern edge of the NNTeB at approx Lat+47.5 L3 21.9 and mid-latitude bright spots are well resolved at approx Lat+35.9 L3 21.4, Lat+29.8 L3 60.3 and Lat+29 L3 9.4 a bright EZ plume is also resolved at approx Lat+10.7 L1 20.1.
The R and G channel data resolved all of the features mentioned above in the RGB other than the NNTeB ripple which was not as well defined, I think it took the combination of the R, G and B to do the trick.
The CH4 data resolves structure within the EZ including a formation of bright spots along the edge of the ring shadow, have measured and marked on of the spots at approx Lat-0.9 L1 66.6. Have a huge volume of data with all of it uploaded to PVOL.

Cheers
Trevor

http://pvol2.ehu.eus/pvolimages/satu...85nmIR_tba.gif

http://pvol2.ehu.eus/pvolimages/satu..._polar_tba.gif

http://pvol2.ehu.eus/pvolimages/satu...0-25_r_tba.gif

http://pvol2.ehu.eus/pvolimages/satu...31_rgb_tba.gif

http://pvol2.ehu.eus/pvolimages/satu..._polar_tba.gif

http://pvol2.ehu.eus/pvolimages/satu...26_CH4_tba.gif

[multiweb (Marc)]

Super sharp.
Amazing that you can follow such small features on the surface between sessions. The previous session showed three little vortices in CH4 along the ring shadow as well. Does the ring create its own weather? Is it the boundary between light and dark that creates difference in temperatures and turbulences?

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Great set there Trevor the planet banding looks awesome.

Mike

[Dave882 (David)]

Incredible detail we don’t get to see that often. Keep em coming!!

[Retrograde (Pete)]

Both this & your other recent Saturn capture are really, really nice.
Thanks for the view.

[Quark (Trevor)]

Thanks Marc, the EZ region at Saturn experiences some of the strongest wind velocities in our Solar System approaching the speed of sound. As the seasons change and the ring shadow moves often storms erupt from the regions that had previously been shaded by the rings. Saturn zonal wind profiles show that small changes in latitude can have large differences in the zonal wind velocity, such is the case with the 2010 GWS AV which I have tracked since it formed. It is drifting south and its drift rate has reduced from approx -1.5 degrees/day to only -0.5 degrees/day during this apparition.

Thanks very much Mike, Saturn is my specialty, obsession really and caressing small scale discrete detail out of good data is one of life's great pleasures.

Thanks very much David and Pete.

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Superfine detail there!

[Dennis]

Another wonderful series Trevor, I am in awe of your passion and dedication in producing these images and the on-going science arising from them.

Cheers

Dennis