[27], Data from Cassini found that Titan experiences dust storms similar to those on Earth and Mars. Part of the southern hemisphere was dubbed "Storm Alley" by scientists on NASA's Cassini mission because of the frequent storm activity the spacecraft observed there. [35] The storm had some of the highest recorded wind speeds in the Solar System at approximately 1,500 mph and rotated around the planet once every 18.3 hours. By the time you reach gas giant Saturn and its beautiful rings, you are really far from the Sun – about 900 million miles. [36] When the Hubble Space Telescope turned its gaze to Neptune in 1994, the spot had vanished; but the storm causing the spot might have continued lower in the atmosphere.[37]. But what's left is not enough to feed a water cycle like the one we have on Earth. The observations show the exoplanet, called WASP-43b, is a world of extremes.

Wind is the name of the game on Neptune. "Not a very good place to vacation, that is for sure," said Christopher Russell, a NASA-sponsored scientist on the European Space Agency's Venus Express mission, the team that found the lightning. NASA Official: [37] The observations taken by this team were able to point to the importance of "companion clouds" in identifying the storms that cause these spots even while a dark spot was not present. Curious what the weather is like on Mars right now? Storm alley lies 35 degrees south of the equator and it is still unknown why there is such a large quantity of storms that form here. It was only observed briefly, as it seemed to be dissipating when it was imaged six hours later, and was not seen on later imaging passes. If that sounds familiar, it's because Uranus is about the same temperature. It’s raged for at least 300 years, but it’s been shrinking for a century and a half. [6][7], Most of the observed atmospheric events on Mars are dust storms which can sometimes disrupt enough dust to be seen from Earth. Due to Mercury's thin atmosphere, it does not experience weather-like storms or other atmospheric weather phenomena such as clouds, winds, or rain. [14] Many cyclones have showed up and disappeared over the years with some even merging to form larger cyclones. The storms can rage for years, so there’s no rush to catch them. [22] It was 8,000 kilometers (5,000 mi) across, with storms in the eyewall reaching 70 km (40 mi) high. In spring and fall, Uranus goes through a full day-to-night cycle every 17 hours. In the middle of the hexagon is what looks like a cosmic belly button, but it’s actually a huge vortex that looks like a hurricane.

Most observed extraterrestrial vortices have been seen in large cyclones, or anticyclones.However, occasional dust storms have been known to produce vortices on Mars and Titan. With this information, meteorologists can make forecasts that help people stay safe.

Unfortunately, rather than a water cycle, Titan cycles a chemical called methane. Instruments on Cassini detected powerful radio waves coming from lightning discharges in Saturn's atmosphere. The Small Dark Spot (sometimes called Great Dark Spot 2 or Wizard's Eye) was another vortex observed by Voyager 2 in its 1989 pass of Neptune. Many large dust storms occur every year on Mars but even more rare are the global dust storms that Mars experiences on average every 6 Earth years. All of that sunlight can push temperatures as high as 800℉. Social Media Lead: Kristen Erickson So, Mars is mostly desert.

Over 100 years ago, the Great Red Spot was well over two Earths wide but has been shrinking ever since. Discovered in 2011, WASP-43b is located 260 light-years away. Uranus sometimes has huge storms, and this unusual seasonal cycle might play a part in them. These radio waves are about 10,000 times stronger than the ones emitted by terrestrial lightning. [37], Learn how and when to remove this template message, Climate of Mars#Repeating Northern Annular Cloud, "Dust Storms on Titan Spotted for the First Time", "10+ Things: Tour of Storms Across the Solar System", "Double vortex at Venus South Pole unveiled! In addition, the southern polar vortex is constantly changing shape but the cause is still unknown. Science Writer: Wind speeds there have been measured at near 1,200 miles per hour, making them the fastest in the solar system! As seen in these and other Cassini images, the storm encircles the planet — whose circumference at these latitudes is 186,000 miles (300,000 kilometers). Planets like Venus have storms that are 200 times more severe than that of the Earth's and these things occur in Jupiter too. Scientists derived that the vortex is high up in the atmosphere, possibly above the haze, because it can still be illuminated by the Sun.[31]. In summer and winter, large parts of the planet see nothing but daytime or nighttime for the whole season – 21 years. Dr. Lori Glaze

Bill Dunford, Two 2001 images show a dramatic change as Mars is cloaked in a global dust storm. [33], In 1998, HST captured infrared images of multiple storms raging on Uranus due to seasonal changes. This image captured by Voyager 2 shows some of the bright cloud streaks above Neptune. The United States has more tornadoes each year than any other country in the world. Earlier this year, Japanese researchers found a giant streak-like structure in the clouds based on observations by the Akatsuki spacecraft orbiting Venus. Brrr! The average temperature on Neptune is about -360℉. And each of its seasons is 21 Earth years long! Pockets occur when bursts of heavy rainfall create areas of moist soil in an otherwise dry region. NASA’s InSight lander provides daily updates from Elysium Planitia near Mars’ equator. An extraterrestrial vortex is a vortex that occurs on planets and natural satellites other than Earth that have sufficient atmospheres. Dust will be an issue for future missions to Mars as well. Titan was also found to have a northern polar vortex with similar characteristics as the southern polar vortex. Neptune is our solar system's windiest world. However, there is still limited data on Uranus as it so far away from Earth and hard to observe regularly. But other planets also have storm clouds, lightning — even rain, of sorts. Also in 2018, researchers using the Gemini North telescope on Hawaii's Mauna Kea discovered that clouds on Uranus are made up of hydrogen sulfide — the stinky, rotten-egg smelling gas. How about a micrometeoroid shower to start your day? Each side is a bit wider than Earth and multiple Earths could fit inside. [1] Various spacecraft missions have recorded evidence of past and present extraterrestrial vortices. This colorful view from NASA's Cassini mission is the highest-resolution view of the unique six-sided jet stream at Saturn's north pole known as "the hexagon." Top Answer. New data from Juno found that the storm penetrates into Jupiter's atmosphere about 200 miles (300 km). NASA’s Mercury MESSENGER spacecraft encountered the magnetic twisters during its second flyby October 6, 2008. Most observed extraterrestrial vortices have been seen in large cyclones, or anticyclones. Scientists were trying to solve a puzzle about clouds on the ice giant planet: What were they made of? GOES-R satellites track hurricanes, tornadoes and other big storms. [25] It is just under 15,000 miles (25,000 km) in diameter, with a depth of about 60 miles (100 km), and encircles the north pole of the ringed planet at roughly 78° N latitude.