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Get you up to speed: Mysterious ten-sided structure discovered in Saturn’s atmosphere | News World
Scientists have discovered a unique ten-sided structure, called a decagon, in the atmosphere of Saturn’s South Pole using Hubble Space Telescope images and observations by a University of Leicester scientist. This finding, published in the journal Science Advances, adds to the understanding of atmospheric phenomena on gas giants.
The discovery of the decagon around Saturn’s south pole emerged as the southern hemisphere became more visible from Earth between 2023 and 2025. Images obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2024 and 2025, along with those from ground-based telescopes, confirmed the existence of this structure.
The discovery of a ten-sided structure in Saturn’s atmosphere has prompted an array of questions among scientists regarding atmospheric phenomena on gas giants, with Agustín Sánchez-Lavega emphasising the need to understand why Saturn uniquely forms such polygonal waves. Following the findings published in Science Advances, Professor Leigh Fletcher noted the unprecedented involvement of amateur astronomers, whose contributions were critical in identifying the newly revealed feature around the planet’s South Pole.
What remains unclear — Scientists have yet to determine why Saturn is the only planet to form this type of polygonal wave.
Ten-sided structure discovered in Saturn’s atmosphere by scientists

The ten-sided structure has left scientists with more questions (Picture: NASA)
A unique ten-sided structure discovered in the atmosphere of Saturn has baffled scientists.
Using the Hubble Space Telescope, images from amateur astronomers and observations by a University of Leicester scientist, a team of scientists has revealed a wave around the planet’s South Pole.
The discovery is nearly identical to another hexagonal structure at its North Pole.
The mysterious finding was published in the journal Science Advances today and adds to the continuing mystery of atmospheric phenomena on the gas giants of our Solar System.
When the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft flew past Saturn in 1980 and 1981, one of their many discoveries was a hexagonal wave encircling the planet’s north pole within its clouds.

The planet has left scientists wondering what other mysteries its atmosphere could hold (Picture: NASA)
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The hexagon has persisted to this day, for more than one Saturnian year (which is equivalent to about 30 Earth years).
Despite the symmetry in the distribution of winds and atmospheric dynamics across the planet, in all the years since then, no similar structure had been observed in the southern hemisphere.
But recently, as the planet’s southern hemisphere became more visible from Earth between 2023 and 2025, images taken by amateur astronomers and the Hubble Space Telescope revealed not a hexagon but a 10-sided polygon around the planet’s south polar region.
Images subsequently obtained by the HST in 2024 and 2025, as well as those taken with ground-based telescopes, confirmed its existence.
Co-author Professor Leigh Fletcher from the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leicester said: ‘Saturn still can surprise us – given the season, Saturn’s southern hemisphere is emerging from more than a decade in winter darkness.
‘Something has clearly changed during that long winter when we weren’t looking, presenting us with this stunning new feature around the South Pole.’
Lead author Agustín Sánchez-Lavega of Universidad del País Vasco EHU said: ‘This research raises many fundamental questions about atmospheric phenomena on gas giants.
‘Why is Saturn the only planet to form this type of polygonal waves? Is the phenomenon in any way related to the 5- and 8-sided polygonal arrangement of the cyclones surrounding Jupiter’s poles?’
Professor Fletcher added: ‘What’s really exciting about this work is the involvement of amateur observers with their backyard telescopes, sharing their images online, and searching Saturn’s clouds for new discoveries. It was their data that first hinted something exciting was going on.
‘The hexagon itself is now hidden from view, as the North Pole disappears into autumn and winter. Who knows whether that will still be there next time we can look? And how long this new decagon will hang around for?’
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Macron loans Bayeux Tapestry to UK in a symbol of cultural relations
France has loaned the Bayeux Tapestry, insured for €960 million, for a ten-month exhibition beginning on 10 September in the United Kingdom.
France has loaned the Bayeux Tapestry, valued at €960 million, for a ten-month exhibition, marking its first return to Britain since the 11th century.
“As we celebrate our shared heritage, President Macron and I will continue to strengthen the ties between our two nations,” stated UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Macron and King Charles hail UK-France ties at Bayeux Tapestry viewing

It was the highlight of Emmanuel Macron‘s two-day visit to the United Kingdom, which began on Wednesday: the French president and the British prime minister joined King Charles III and Queen Camilla for a private viewing of the Bayeux Tapestry.
The masterpiece of medieval art, which depicts the Norman conquest of England in 1066, is a centuries-old symbol of Franco-British relations.
Macron personally decided on the one-year loan during his state visit to the UK in July 2025, to “reinvigorate cultural relations” and underline “the trust that now exists” between Paris and London.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham hailed “a major moment in the history” of the two countries.
“As we celebrate our shared heritage, President Macron and I will continue to strengthen the ties between our two nations”, he said in a statement.
France has loaned the tapestry, insured for €960 million, for a ten-month exhibition opening to the public on 10 September.
It was transported from Bayeux in north-western France to London by road and rail in a high-security convoy in July. It marks the first time the tapestry has been on British soil since the 11th century.
Embroidered in wool on linen, the artwork depicts the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings in October 1066, when William, Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold’s Anglo-Saxon army.
The invasion ended Saxon rule, made William the Conqueror the first Norman king of England and forged a close and complex relationship between Britain and France.
The year 1066 remains one of the best-known dates in British history, and the tapestry’s loan is considered a major cultural event.
Burnham’s government announced on Wednesday that a digital exhibition will bring the tapestry’s story to locations across the UK, while schoolchildren will take part in a live national history lesson on the subject on 14 October.
The loan was announced during Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to the United Kingdom in July 2025. In return, the British Museum is lending a number of artefacts, including Viking and Anglo-Saxon treasures, to museums in Normandy.
Ukraine, Middle East and migration on talks agenda
Burnham, who took office six weeks ago, will receive Macron at 10 Downing Street on Thursday for talks.
Burnham’s office said efforts to prevent migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats would top the agenda. The UK government says stronger cooperation between British and French law enforcement agencies has helped reduce the number of crossings by more than 40% this year compared with last year.
The wars in Iran and Ukraine are also expected to be discussed during the talks.
France and the United Kingdom have led efforts to strengthen European support for Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than four and a half years ago, and Burnham has pledged to maintain British support for Kyiv.
The Prime Minister also wants to forge closer ties with the European Union in an effort to reverse what he has called a “decade of weak growth” following the 2016 Brexit referendum.
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