Captain's Log
November 17, 2011
Over the past year, a great disquiet has swept across the face of Saturn. The normally serene countenance of this giant planet was pierced last December by the sudden eruption of a bright, discrete, and powerful convecting storm that over  the course of two months grew and spread to become a planet-encircling colossus, a wide kaleidoscopic band of commingled waves, vortices, and eddies, all in continuous swirling motion .... a mesmerizing display of snaking, sensuous, churning, turning, chaotic, roiling atmospheric turmoil.
Outbursts like this are not new to Saturn and, in fact, are known for their episodic behavior. The largest of these appear every 20 to 30 years in the northern hemisphere and spread completely around the planet. But this one is different. With a 200-day interval of intense, hissing convection, it holds the record as the longest-lasting Saturn-encircling storm ever. And it has become the largest  by far ever observed on the planet by an interplanetary spacecraft, giving us an unparalleled opportunity to study in great depth the subtle changes on the planet that preceded the storm's formation and the mechanisms involved in its development.
It was an opportunity we did not miss. Since first sighting this monster tempest in early December, the imaging team has been systematically recording the tumultuous changes in the planet's appearance. As a consequence, we have now amassed a month-by-month visual chronicle of its development and evolution. And by acquiring  images in a variety of spectral filters, we can separate the changes that occur at any one altitude from those that occur at another. What results is the sublime visual extravaganza that appears on these pages today.
It is the singular distinction of being in orbit, and able to turn a scrutinizing eye wherever it is needed, that has allowed us to be present to witness this extraordinary phenomenon. Seven years of chasing such opportunities across the solar system's most magnificent planetary system have already made Cassini one of the most scientifically productive planetary missions ever flown. And with any luck, there'll be a great deal more to come.
Carolyn Porco
Cassini Imaging Team Leader
Director, CICLOPS
Boulder, CO
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I enjoy the view, but I'm confused. The illumination angle seems to off between the pairs of objects. In the shot of Titan with the ring shadows prominent, the illumination of Titan appears no more than 10 degrees above the horizontal of the image. However, the ring shadows seem to suggest a much higher illumination angle since they are so far below the edge-on view of the rings. Is this an optical illusion?
Really cool pics....one of my three favorite planets
Carolyn, i am glad to see there is enough data about this storm to suport a paper. i look forward to seeing it published!
i agree that pattience is nessesary in scientific investigation, but i believe that scientists should never be so patient that they hesitate to ask good questions.
the work that the whole team has shared with us here proves you have been asking great questions. the proof is, the results have led to many more great questions.
my exprience is the best science produces answers that generate exponentially more questions than were asked in the first place.
thanks for sharing, Team!
Hi,I 'm so happy because I am astronomy lover,like you.
Soheil Salimi.
Everyone: There is in fact a paper about this storm that a small group of us imaging team members have written. It has just been submitted, and so now we sit and wait for the review process and hopefully publication. We can't yet answer some of your more detailed questions. But know that this discovery and the opportunity it presents will be receiving a lot of attention over the coming months and years. Scientific investigation requires a certain suite of skills and traits, and patience is one of them! In the meantime, thanks much for your appreciation of our work. I really wanted to make this release special, and I'm happy that it has been so well received. Best to all of you!
Whoa! Absolutely amazing stuff. Many thanks to you Carolyn and your team for presenting us with such spectacular images. i am looking forward to hearing about what they all mean in the coming weeks and months. is there a paper coming?
thanks you show us something wonderfull!!!
Things here on Planet Earth may be falling apart at the seams, but these gorgeous images of the chaos transforming Saturn's landscape make what's happening down here seem very insignificant in a cosmic and soul-stirring kind of way. Thank you, Captain Porco and the crew!
Captain, you folks on the team do great work.
CICLOPS Team,
The northern hemisphere storm images are spactacular.
BlindStevie
CICLOPS Team,
You folks are the front line in man's effort to understand the solar system. Press on with PRIDE!
BlindStevie
