Saturn at Northern Summer Solstice: Thermal Structure during the Finale of the Cassini Mission
Résumé
With the culmination of 13 years of orbital exploration of Saturn by the Cassini spacecraft, we now have the most comprehensive characterisation of a seasonal giant planet ever obtained. The longevity of Cassini has meant that we can explore atmospheric processes from solstice to solstice using infrared remote sensing, including: the formation and dissipation of stratospheric polar vortices; the evolution of Saturn's equatorial oscillation; and the aftermath of the 2010-11 springtime storm.