Saturn South Pole Decagon Discovered

Astronomers have discovered a unique ten-sided atmospheric wave, or decagon, swirling around Saturn's south pole, a phenomenon unlike any previously observed in the planet's southern hemisphere. The finding, published on September 2, 2026, in the journal Science Advances, marks the first time such a regular, multi-sided jet pattern has been detected there, offering a potential counterpart to the well-known hexagonal wave at Saturn's north pole. The discovery was made possible through a combination of observations from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based telescopes, including contributions from amateur astronomers. Subtle hints of the structure began appearing in Hubble images dating back to 2023. By 2024, ground-based observatories, analyzing images submitted to the Planetary Virtual Observatory Laboratory, detected a mysterious undulating band around the south pole. Further observations in 2025, both from the ground and with Hubble's high-resolution capabilities, confirmed the emergence of a clearly defined ten-sided shape. This new decagonal feature is described as an evolving atmospheric wave situated within one of Saturn's powerful jet streams.