Huge Storm on Saturn Photographed by Cassini Spacecraft

A new image of Saturn shows a huge storm seen previously by amateur astronomers.

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Storms on the gas giant planet Saturn are common. This storm, in the ringed planet's southern hemisphere, was photographed by NASA's Cassini spacecraft Friday; the image was released today (Dec. 27).

The photo is unprocessed, or raw, as astronomers described it.

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"This storm had been sighted by the amateurs in recent weeks, but Cassini was finally in a position to take a splendid series of pictures of it," said Cassini imaging team leader Carolyn Porco. "And what a storm it is!"

Cassini launched in 1997 and arrived at Saturn in 2004. It has been imaging Saturn ever since.

• Gallery: Cassini's Latest Discoveries
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