Why are Saturn’s poles Hexagonal and blue?
In: Physics
Only the north pole of Saturn is hexagonal. It turned from blue to gold during the Cassini probe (2012 – 2016).
As to why it’s a hexagon: no one really knows. One theory is that the edges of the North pole hexagon are extremely cold with a very hot spot at the center. This combination of extreme temperatures could cause the hexagon to appear as the planet rotates, and has been [successfully duplicated in a lab](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQzLY17ncWM).
As to why it’s blue or gold: it’s blue when it’s facing away from the Sun, and gold when it’s directly reflecting the Sun’s light. So it’s a little like a change of seasons.
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