Study says energy imbalance observed on Saturn for first time

According to a new study published in the scientific journal Nature Communications, a team of scientists from the University of Houston (UH) in the United States. discovered an energetic imbalance on Saturn This could provide more information about the planetary evolution of gas planets. The discovery, based on data from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Cassini probe, was made by a doctoral student in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at UH.

Scientists say this is the first time this has happened A global energy imbalance in terms of seasonality has been observed on a body like Saturn. The data can help researchers better understand the formation and evolution of planets, as well as offer new horizons for planetary and atmospheric science.

Cassini data suggest that the instability occurs due to the planet’s extreme orbital eccentricity; Unlike Earth, which does not experience the same characteristics due to its small orbital eccentricity. Researchers also realized that the unbalanced amount of energy on Saturn is extremely important for the formation of giant storms on the gaseous celestial body.

“Every planet receives energy from the Sun in the form of solar radiation and loses energy by emitting thermal radiation. However, like other gas giants, Saturn has another energy input in the form of deep internal heat that affects its thermal structure and climate. “Earth’s internal temperature is negligible, and its seasons last only a few months, compared to seasons lasting several years on Saturn,” Xinyue Wang, a doctoral student and one of the study’s authors, said in an official statement.

Energy imbalance on Saturn

Currently, giant storms occur regularly in the gas giant, so they are considered a dominant climatic phenomenon on the planet. The study suggests that energy imbalance may play a fundamental role in the formation of these features. To try to verify this information, The team plans to study other gaseous celestial bodies to understand whether this situation is common in other parts of the Solar System.

The discovery could be very important for astronomy because Current models and theories regarding the properties of gas giants indicate that the energy balance of these cosmic objects is generally balanced.. In any case, scientists still need to collect more data to confirm the hypothesis.

“Our data suggest that these planets will also have significant energy imbalances, especially Uranus, which we predict will have the strongest imbalance due to its orbital eccentricity and very high tilt. What we are investigating now will identify limitations in current observations and will benefit this future flagship mission will formulate testable hypotheses,” adds Wang.

Did you like the content? So, stay up to date with more news about astronomy at TecMundo. If you wish, take the opportunity to understand how Saturn’s rings will disappear in 2025.