The massive collection of swirling gas has gathered at Titan's south pole, which measures approximately 3,200 miles across. The whirlwind has never before been spotted, and it remains unclear how long it has been forming. Cassini — which first arrived near Saturn in 2004 (and shot the stunning images below) — had been orbiting the moon too far north to have captured it, until now.
Prior to this discovery, the probe spotted images of a large "hood" on Titan's north pole, which researchers believe is the result of cell convection — a process where dense air sinks towards the surface, pushing air at its edges upwards to create clouds. As Titan's seasons change, scientists believe that the same mechanism may be at work at the moon's southern pole, but they can't be sure.
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