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NASA’s Cassini spacecraft observed the first hurricane-like storm with a well-developed eye that has been seen on another planet. The storm is approximately 8,000 km (5,000 miles) in diameter or 2/3s the diameter of Earth. A three hour observation session noted that the winds were blowing around Saturn’s south pole at 550 km or 350 miles per hour. For contrast, the largest tropical cyclone on record is Typhoon Tip which was recorded as being 2,170 km (1,350 miles) wide and shares the tropical cyclone wind speed record with Typhoon Keith, Hurricane Camille and Hurricane Allen with maximum sustained winds of 305 km/h (190 mph). The largest wind gust on record for Earth is claimed by the Mount Washington observatory in New Hampshire with winds clocked in at 231 mph on April 10, 1934. Saturn’s storm is about a quarter of the size of the great red spot of Jupiter though. |
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