Saturn’s aurora acts as a localized energy source that drives winds and currents in a stable feedback system, producing the illusion of changing rotation.

Saturn’s northern lights heat one side of the planet’s upper atmosphere and drive winds that mimic changes in its spin.

For decades, scientists have been puzzled by a strange observation about Saturn. Depending on how it was measured, the planet seemed to spin at slightly different speeds. This didn’t make sense, ...

Learn how winds in Saturn's upper atmosphere power a continuous aurora, creating misleading changes in the planet's rotation rate.