【Sorority】

A spacecraft speeding through the solar system 619,Sorority000 miles from Saturn snapped a photo of the ringed planet's north pole in stark relief.

The new image, taken by the Cassini spacecraft, shows Saturn's strange hexagonal jet stream surrounding the strong hurricane at the pole.

SEE ALSO: New photos from venerable spacecraft show off incredible details in Saturn’s rings

"The north pole of Saturn sits at the center of its own domain," NASA said in a pretty poetic statement about the image.

"Around it swirl the clouds, driven by the fast winds of Saturn. Beyond that orbits Saturn's retinue of moons and the countless small particles that form the ring."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The hexagon-shaped jet stream is one of Saturn's most distinctive and strange looking features.

If you were to fly over the planet and look down at the north pole with its hexagon yourself, it would probably look blue and gold, according to NASA.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

So, something like this:

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Cassini hasn't been able to capture views of Saturn's north pole like this for very long.

When the mission first got to Saturn in 2004, the pole was shrouded in darkness until August 2009, when the sun started to peek up above the planet's horizon, NASA said.

Since then, Cassini has flown above the poles many times, giving scientists their first really great views of the hexagon and and the seemingly constant hurricane of the north pole.

Via Giphy

Cassini is now nearing the end of its mission at Saturn.

The long-lived spacecraft will make its planned plunge into the planet's thick atmosphere in September, destroying the craft and bringing its mission to a close.

Before that, however, Cassini will dive in between the planet and its rings, giving scientists -- and the rest of us -- a view of the planet as never seen by human eyes before.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Photobomb a Planet with NASA’s Wave at Saturn Collage

---

• Social Good
• Deals
• Entertainment
• Shopping
• Digital Culture
• Science
• Life
• Games

• Clean energy projects soared in 2016 as solar and wind got cheaper
• Twitch will let streamers sell games, raising loads of ethical questions
• Here's what it was like being on stage during that unbelievable Oscars mix
• A black bear tried to reach into a hatchback and people are in shock
• How to Get Your Significant Other Into Gaming
• That insane Best Picture mix
• This app lets you donate to charity whenever someone on Twitter pisses you off
• Apple granted another patent to embed Touch ID in iPhone's screen
• GPU Pricing Update, Year in Review: Price Trends Charted
• Playing Snake on the new Nokia 3310 is tougher than it looks

• 'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for February 22
• Melania Trump absolutely loves to use chaotic photo filters
• 10 things we learned from Rian Johnson's 'Glass Onion' director's commentary
• 'The Strays' bold ending, explained
• Pew study finds fitness tracking is linked to education and wealth
• 'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for February 19
• Are we dating the same guy? This Facebook group might know.
• Michelle Williams advocates for abortion rights at 2020 Golden Globes
• Britain's bound to 'bung a bob for a Big Ben bong' because Boris and Brexit
• The new historical American Girl dolls are twins, Isabel and Nicki, living in Seattle in 1999

• Cibao FC vs. Guadalajara 2025 livestream: Watch Concacaf Champions Cup for free
• BBC documentary creates a stir, India bans channel from filming in tiger reserves
• Drone crashes through woman's apartment window
• The internet wants to know WTH Kellyanne Conway is doing on the Oval Office couch
• Use Gmail Filters to Automate your Inbox
• Netflix: We will stream to your eyeballs, or VR, or um whatever the future is
• PricewaterhouseCoopers messed up the Oscars big time. Will people still trust it with their taxes?
• Relive the wild ride that was the Oscars with the 10 most viral tweets
• Report: Match Group dating apps conceal assault cases
• 'Get Out' finally got a negative review and it's from exactly who you'd expect

• Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers 2025 livestream: Watch NBA online
• BBC documentary creates a stir, India bans channel from filming in tiger reserves
• NASA says Earth just had the hottest day ever recorded
• NFL players may seem tough, but they can't hang with these really bad jokes
• Celtic vs. Bayern Munich 2025 livestream: Watch Champions League for free
• I want this credit card
• This app lets you donate to charity whenever someone on Twitter pisses you off
• Internet divided over who to blame for teen's death over Snapchat stunt
• Blockchain Explained: How It Works, Who Cares and What Its Future May Hold
• If footage of this ethereal jellyfish doesn't calm you, nothing will