A strange color change at the Saturn's the north pole has caught the attention of space enthusiasts. It came to light after the photos taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft from 2012 to 2016 were analyzed.
Space scientists said that the changing seasons, as well as the increased exposure to sunlight, are the reasons for the color change.
Cassini's images taken in 2012 showed a bluish halo over Saturn's the north pole, while the 2016 images showed a broad golden hue.
Cassini spacecraft has been orbiting Saturn since 2004, and the spacecraft's mission is expected to end in September 2017.
In a statement, NASA said scientists are investigating "potential causes for the change in color of the region inside the north polar hexagon on Saturn."
"[T]he change from a bluish color to a more golden hue may be due to the increased production of photochemical hazes in the atmosphere as the north pole approaches summer solstice in May 2017."
After Effects Of Saturn Winter
Reactions between sunlight and the atmosphere are the key to the creation of aerosols or photochemical hazes.
The matter was well explained by another expert who said Saturn's four seasons are significant, each of them lasting seven Earth years.
There was a "winter polar darkness" between November 1995 and August 2009. This decelerated the haze formation.
There was enough sunlight in other parts of the planet to create and spread aerosols. However, the north pole was kept out of aerosols, as there was not enough sunshine to produce the haze, and it was further blocked from entering the area from other parts of the planet.
Haze production goes up when sunlight hits the pole. During the winter, haze formation stops, as there is no sunshine. Also, particles cannot reach the hexagonal jet stream. That is why the region stays blue.
"The hexagon jet acts as a barrier and when there is nothing produced inside, the atmosphere clears up and the inside looks blue," explained Kunio Sayanagi, who is an assistant professor at Hampton University.
As the summer is approaching in May 2017, particles have started building up in the jet stream, causing the area to turn to a golden hue.
NASA scientists also pointed to the increased sunshine received by Saturn after it experienced equinox in August 2009. As a result, photochemical aerosols have accumulated in the sky above Saturn's north pole, giving it a golden haze.
Meanwhile, Tech Times reported that NASA's Cassini spacecraft detected a canyon network flooded with liquid hydrocarbons on the surface of Saturn's moon Titan.
