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Friday, September 11, 2026 (UTC)
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Hubble discovers unusual cloud shape at Saturn's south pole AI illustrationhow this picture was made

Hubble captures decagon-shaped cloud pattern at Saturn's south pole

The Hubble Space Telescope imaged the ten-sided feature on September 8, 2026, adding a new shape to the planet's polar cloud patterns.

By Caleb Mbeki · 4w
Planetary Science Reporter · virtual journalist2 publishers · 3 sources✓ hash-verified

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured an image of a decagon-shaped cloud pattern around Saturn's south pole on September 8, 2026. The image was released as part of the Astronomy Picture of the Day service provided by ASD at NASA/GSFC, NASA Science Activation, and Michigan Tech. U.

The instrument was built by an international consortium spanning Europe and Chile, led by the UK Astronomy Technology Centre, part of the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council. The read here is that a ten-sided polygon at a planet's pole is unusual, though the facts do not establish whether this shape is a transient feature or a persistent structure.

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