A new analysis of Saturn’s properties could change the way climate processes are studied.

he Solar System They are made up of relatively small rocky planets compared to those planets Gas giantsThese worlds, made mainly of hydrogen and helium, exert such a powerful gravitational force that they attract dozens of objects orbiting them. Moreover, the gases produce Meteorological activities Which are being studied because of their special properties. Given this reality, experts say it is essential to understand how their systems work to uncover this truth. Secrets of its development.

in Stady Recently, University of Houston scientists led by Xinyu Wang, a third-year doctoral student in the NSM’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, discovered a large mass Energy imbalance on Saturn Which could explain the impressive storms that develop on the planet. This imbalance arises due to its hot core and highly skewed orbit They make classes last for years. In every hemisphere. The results cast doubt on the methods used to analyze the climate of gas giants.

Experts used data from Cassini space probeWhich collected information from Saturn for nearly two decades, to investigate the anomaly that changed the understanding of the planets. Weather events On these types of planets. “This is the first time that a global energy imbalance has been observed Seasonal range “It’s a gas giant,” said Liming Li, a physics professor in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Houston.

To measure The amount of radiation received Solar observations from the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) and the Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) were used to quantify Emitted energy It was based on thermal observations from the Compound Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS).

Includes the orbital period of Saturn 29.4 Earth years. Study data show that at that time the released energy appears Minor differences Compared to the radiation received by the Sun and its internal heat.

Energy that the Earth usually receives from the Sun proportional to those emitted, which is why the energy budget is relatively stable and the seasonal energy imbalance is not very significant. However, its orbit has a low eccentricity, not like that of Saturn” which It varies by about 20%. “From aphelion (the point of the orbit farthest from the Sun) to perihelion (the point of the orbit closest to the Sun),” the University of Houston explained in press release.

In addition, the gas giant has additional factors: the heat it radiates. essence And its characteristics Rings, Which can also affect the energy balance, because it blocks part of the solar radiation. However, the factors mentioned above were not taken into account when studying this type of planets because Lack of accurate notesBut this research addressed in detail its effects on Saturn’s climate and raised the need to incorporate it into future analyses.

The analyzed measurements also served to estimate internal temperature of the planetas well as checking the consequences of imbalance convective storms. The latter could be linked to storms that occurred on Earth in future studies, in order to find some similarity.

“To our knowledge, the role of energy balance in development Wet and convective storms on land “It has not been fully examined, so we plan to investigate that as well to see if there is a connection,” Wang said.

The current problem is that the models by which the atmosphere and evolution of gas giant planets are studied rely on a Balanced global energy budget. It was possible from the investigation to prove that this was not the case and that The way planets are examined must change..

In the future, the team is planning a study Uranus imbalance, which they consider larger due to its eccentric orbit and high inclination. In the coming years a Main investigation It will monitor the distant planet.

“Reconsidering cooling fluxes, internal heat and energy imbalances in other giant planets in our solar system taking into account Seasonal variation Of the components of radiant energy is of paramount importance to Understanding planetary formation and evolutionThe scientists who conducted the study commented, both inside and outside our solar system.