Saturn's hexagon

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/saturns-hexagon

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the geophysical location?Approximately 78 degrees North latitude on Saturn
2. What is the vertical dimension?Estimated height of ~300 km (190 mi)
3. What is Saturn's hexagon cloud?Saturn's hexagon cloud is a huge, six‑sided cloud at the planet’s north pole. Each side is about 14,500 km long, longer than the diameter of Earth.
4. How big is the hexagon compared to Earth?The whole shape is more than 29,000 km wide, which is larger than the entire Earth.

Fluid Dynamics: The study of fluids (liquids and gases) in motion and the forces acting upon them.
Coriolis Effect: An effect whereby a mass moving in a rotating system experiences a deflection from its straight path.
Atmospheric Wave Phenomena: Disturbances that propagate through a fluid medium, such as waves in the atmosphere.