They say that the mystery is solved. It’s just the way fluid mechanics work. Spin stuff around and it starts making geometric forms. You can do it in a cylinder of water.
Funny that no one noticed this before. Funny that the media doesn’t think this is big news. Clouds swirling around the North pole of Saturn and creating a permanent hexagon still seems, and looks . . . strange.
Too bad about all the fanciful speculations. They were fun, as usual, while they lasted.
Still, it just goes to show that our "common" knowledge has not prepared us for what we will find on other planets. We actually need to know a little science to figure it out. And figuring it out will force us to see the universe in which we live in new ways. Which is okay, be cause this is one crazy universe, and we need to be ready for those freaky surprises.
I’m also looking forward to the imaginative science projects and art this should inspire.
And if you’re not inspired, shame on you.
I've had acquaintances become strangely depressed when discovering that the Saturn hexagon has a reasonable explanation. I'm not depressed: in fact, I'm thrilled when the explanations lead to further mysteries. (Keep an eye on that hexagon, because it's probably going to give a good idea as to the composition of Saturn's atmosphere at lower levels.)
ReplyDelete