The Wildest Weather in the Galaxy
By Jeanna Bryner
For decades, astronomers have been using telescopes to decipher atmospheric conditions on distant worlds. From 1,500-mph winds on Neptune to scorching heat waves on Venus and even worse weather on huge worlds beyond our solar system, you'll be glad you live on Earth.
10: Serious LightningNASA’s Cassini spacecraft has spotted an electrical storm as large as the continental United States on Saturn, with lightning bolts that are 1,000 times stronger than those on Earth. They detected the charged storm in Saturn’s southern hemisphere, an area labeled “storm alley.” The storm stretches 2,175 miles (3,500 kilometers) from north to south, and emits radio noise similar to that produced by thunder storms on Earth.9: Hot CrushNamed after the goddess of love and beauty, Venus has a steamy demeanor. Boasting lead-melting temperatures of 890 degrees Fahrenheit (750 degrees Kelvin), Venus is considered the hottest planet in the solar system. Scientists attribute the high heat index to an extreme greenhouse effect. The atmosphere is composed of mainly carbon dioxide with clouds of sulfuric acid. So once the Sun’s radiation penetrates the cloudy atmosphere, the heat can’t escape back out to space. That’s no place for love. And with pressures that are 90 times that on Earth, any visitors would surely be crushed.8: Methane MoonSweeping by Saturn’s largest moon Titan, the Cassini-Huygens mission found evidence of intense rain showers comprised of liquid methane. The spacecraft spotted channels in the moon that were most likely carved out by rain. The moon’s “water” is methane because at Titan’s frigid temperatures—minus 290 degrees Fahrenheit (94 degrees Kelvin)—any water would be locked up as ice. Now astronomers are speculating that if there’s rain, maybe there are also rainbows.7: Scarlet RainIn the summer of 2001, at least 50 tons of red particles fell over Kerala, India, continuing as scattered rain for nearly two months. Theories as to the source of the scarlet showers include rusty particles from a dust storm and biological cells of an extraterrestrial origin. In the April issue of the journal Astrophysics and Space Science, scientists from Mahatma Gandhi University reported that the particles have the appearance of biological cells, can reproduce at sizzling temperatures, and have no similarity to dust particles.6: Planet PopsicleThe ninth planet from the Sun (at least by some definitions), Pluto receives a mere 1/1000th the amount of sunlight as Earth receives. Even though its elongated orbit swings the planet closer to the Sun than Neptune at times, this ball of frozen nitrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide remains in a deep freeze. Temperatures range from minus 387 to minus 369 Fahrenheit (40 to 50 degrees Kelvin). At its farthest distance from the Sun, 4.5 billion miles (7.2 billion kilometers), the planet’s thin atmosphere freezes, sending a fresh layer of ice onto the surface.5: Windy WorldMove over Chicago! Neptune’s roaring winds blow many times stronger than any on Earth, reaching 1,500 mph (2,414 kph). Scientists think that heat escaping from the planet’s rocky interior could cause convection in the atmosphere. Along with the planet’s rapid rotation (roughly 16 hours), this spreading of heat could spawn the record-breaking winds and giant storms on the blue planet.4: Freeze FrameTemperatures on Uranus can dip below minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit (89 Kelvin). Unlike Earth’s slight rotational tilt—which causes our relatively short seasons—Uranus is tipped almost completely on its side, leading to 20-year-long seasons of extreme weather. At times, it can be so frigid that methane gas in the atmosphere condenses into crystal-methane clouds.3: Close EncounterOn July 4, 2006 astronomers expect the two biggest storms in the solar system to pass uncomfortably close to one another. The Great Red Spot, a hurricane that’s more than double the width of Earth with 350-mph ((563 kph) winds—could tap the outer rings of its smaller cousin called Red Jr. The close call could cause Red Jr. to lose its color, says Glenn Orton, an astronomer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory who studies storms on Jupiter and other giant planets. Although not fully understood, scientists think the red color correlates with the storm’s intensity—whipping winds stir up chemical compounds from beneath the clouds and lift them to high altitudes. There the sun’s ultraviolet rays generate the brick hue.2: Dust BusterMars has been known to kick up dust storms that engulf entire hemispheres and circle the globe. The rust-colored dust can blow at a face-tingling 60 to 100 mph (97 to 161 kilometers) per hour, lasting for weeks to months. Once started, the impenetrable haze can blanket more than half the planet, raising the temperatures by 30 degrees Celsius.1: Iron RainCalled "failed stars," brown dwarfs lack the mass needed to ignite into a star, yet are much heftier than our biggest planet Jupiter. Astronomers are finding colossal, planet-like storms on these oddball orbs that rival Jupiter's Great Red Spot. As brown dwarfs cool over time, molecules of gaseous iron condense into liquid-iron clouds and rain. With further cooling, huge storms whisk away the clouds, letting bright infrared light escape into space. Previous chapter:Next chapter0: Odd, but interesting: 1: 10 Confounding Cosmic Questions 2: Top 10 Cool Moon Facts. 3: Top 10 Star Mysteries 4: Top 10 strangest things in space. 5: The Wildest Weather in the Galaxy 6: Space Station Assembly. 7: ISS: Home, Space Home. 8: Impressive New Tricks of Light, All Within the Laws of Physics 9: Earth-Moon size and distance 10: Dictionary Results for magnetism : 11: Exploring Mars: Basic Mars Facts:- 12: THE MOON 13: What's New on the Moon? 14: Precession: 15: Sedna: A Clue to Nibiru Part 1:Part 2:Part 3: |
(Wednesday, 22 April, 2026.)
