The upper layers of the atmosphere of Saturn, a gas giant, are as warm as the upper layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, which is closer to the Sun than Saturn. The fact that the upper layer of Saturn’s atmosphere was so hot despite the fact that it is much further away from the Sun than the Earth, it has long been curious for scientists. To eliminate this curiosity, the data collected from Saturn’s atmosphere was used in the last mission of Cassini, the spacecraft whose mission in Saturn recently ended. Thanks to the analysis of the data collected by Cassini Spacecraft, the temperature and density map of Saturn’s atmosphere could be created. This map can unravel the mystery of the atmosphere of the gas giant. Auroral electric currents and winds By mapping the atmosphere of Saturn, scientists can better understand how auroral electric currents on the planet heat the upper layers of Saturn’s atmosphere and drive the winds. Saturn’s global wind system can distribute the energy accumulated near the poles to the equatorial regions of the planet, making the atmosphere twice as hot as it should be. Among the data collected by Cassini, the light coming from the surrounding stars to Saturn is also taken into consideration. During the review of the atmosphere of Saturn, Cassini’s latest work, the Cassini Spacecraft targeted several bright stars in the constellations of Orion and Canis Major for 6 weeks. As the spacecraft observed that the stars passed behind the giant planet, scientists analyzed how the light of the stars changed as it passed through the atmosphere. Measuring the density of Saturn’s atmosphere with the data obtained by the Cassini Spacecraft provides scientists with important information to find temperatures in the atmosphere. Scientists have discovered that the temperature in Saturn’s atmosphere peaks near the Aurora regions of the planet, and the auroral electric currents heat the upper atmosphere. Both intensity and temperature measurements of the Saturn’s atmosphere helped scientists understand the speed of winds on the planet. Understanding Saturn’s upper atmosphere where it meets space will play a serious key role in understanding other planets in space.
