If only there was a Wikipedia article - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn's_hexagon?wprov=sfti…
WHY???
Submitted 5 days ago by NichEherVielleicht@feddit.org to science_memes@mander.xyz
https://feddit.org/pictrs/image/45ab0732-dd8c-4721-97d1-158cfee73a1c.jpeg
Comments
MarriedCavelady50@lemmy.ml 5 days ago
DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 5 days ago
Tl;Dr
“Why is it a hexagon”
MarriedCavelady50@lemmy.ml 5 days ago
Atmosphere outside hexagon spins faster than atmosphere inside hexagon
cypherpunks@lemmy.ml 5 days ago
either that, or
veni_vedi_veni@lemmy.world 4 days ago
They would never be so obvious
y0kai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 days ago
TIL all the Civilization maps are on Saturn
ashenone@lemmy.ml 5 days ago
Only after civilization 3
gnutrino@programming.dev 5 days ago
*civ 4.
5 was the first one with a hex grid
panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 5 days ago
Which is still my favorite for some reason
KiwiTB@lemmy.world 5 days ago
4… But I assumed a typo
NichEherVielleicht@feddit.org 5 days ago
That makes sense…
technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 days ago
god playing settlers of catan here…
ZoteTheMighty@lemmy.zip 5 days ago
It’s less weird when you realize it’s not a hexagon, it’s a sine wave in cylindrical coordinates. There are a lot of negative feedback loops such that a sine wave can turn into a standing wave. You just have to get a little lucky with a couple important things like your rossby number et voila, hexagon.
SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 days ago
this.English()
hayvan@feddit.nl 4 days ago
ameancow@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Here’s a better visualization from Minute Physics idea how these “wave” patterns can make geometric shapes, using the fact that Earth’s moon doesn’t make a smooth circle around the sun.
ivanafterall@lemmy.world 4 days ago
That doesn’t sound less weird.
RobotToaster@mander.xyz 5 days ago
That’s where all the 10mm sockets end up
Saapas@piefed.zip 4 days ago
I was just thinking of popping out my hex set so I can pop open Saturn
ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Because hexagon is bestagon!
Texas_Hangover@lemmy.radio 4 days ago
Excelentagon.
Icytrees@sh.itjust.works 5 days ago
It’s bees.
g0d0fm15ch13f@lemmy.world 5 days ago
Its always bees
Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 4 days ago
Unless it’s Bees.
NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world 5 days ago
Because Saturn is Catan.
MelodiousFunk@slrpnk.net 5 days ago
Base game got boring, I recommend the Ringfarers expansion.
Bleys@lemmy.world 5 days ago
Somewhat topically, Terraforming Mars clears
antrosapien@lemmy.ml 4 days ago
Lazy rendering
LH0ezVT@sh.itjust.works 4 days ago
I’d like to file a bug report, the texture wrapping is broken
gedaliyah@lemmy.world 5 days ago
TLDR That’s what happens when circles get squished together.
MyMindIsLikeAnOcean@piefed.world 5 days ago
Things like Hexagons and the golden spiral occurring in nature are interesting - but very well-travelled.
NichEherVielleicht@feddit.org 5 days ago
CheeseNoodle@lemmy.world 5 days ago
Because storms want to be circles but any given gas giants atmosphere is basically a series of nothing but storms and when you tile circles you get a hexagonal grid due to the spaces in between them?
lemming741@lemmy.world 4 days ago
So it’s a soccer ball
naught101@lemmy.world 5 days ago
Standing wave. Earth kind of has one in the jet stream (3 peaks and troughs though, usually), but you can’t see it with visible light.
xxce2AAb@feddit.dk 5 days ago
Aguiar, Ana C. Barbosa, et al. “A laboratory model of Saturn’s North Polar Hexagon.” Icarus 206.2 (2010): 755-763.
Rhaedas@fedia.io 5 days ago
Get out of here with your real answers. 😜
I think the actual answer even with this source is, we sort of have some clues, but we have more questions too.
ameancow@lemmy.world 4 days ago
To better understand how nature doesn’t always make smooth circles out of circular patterns, this Minute Physics video does a banger job using the Earth’s moon as an example.
For saturn, you’re talking about storm patterns, but the concept is somewhat similar, which is that forces acting on objects (storms) can arrange circles into wave-like shapes.
Bonus@mander.xyz 4 days ago
Hexagons are just nature’s way of making arrays of triangles.
InvalidName2@lemmy.zip 5 days ago
It is because this is how these things do be. QED.
aeronmelon@lemmy.world 5 days ago
That’s actually the prevailing theory. A hexagonal shape is the path of least resistance for the wind patterns on Saturn. It probably is really that simple.
Dasus@lemmy.world 5 days ago
bestelbus22@lemmy.world 5 days ago
Classic application of the “it is what it is” lemma.
ricecake@sh.itjust.works 4 days ago
Based on what I recall of the explanation by the person who figured it out: spinning makes fluid near the edge spin faster than fluid near the middle. The difference in speed creates a wave. Since it’s finite and moving, the wave interferes with itself and because of math, makes a hexagon. Something about how the wave pattern changes density and brings different glasses to the surface on the planets.
Then they showed an example by spinning a bucket, and it kinda fell flat because they had to explain that a bucket isn’t a sphere so you have to spin it just right to get it to work, but it did work in the end.HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 4 days ago
What, you want to tighten the axis with a torx?
LH0ezVT@sh.itjust.works 4 days ago
A T10^4
LaLuzDelSol@lemmy.world 5 days ago
You get hexagons as well when you drill a countersink bit into plywood. Something something layers.
shalafi@lemmy.world 5 days ago
Did not know that so I looked on Google.
AI Overview That statement is incorrect. Drilling a countersink bit into plywood (or any wood) produces a smooth, conical hole, not a hexagonal one.
Followed by every article talking about why the bits make hexagons, with videos and pictures.
LaLuzDelSol@lemmy.world 5 days ago
Haha I love AI! We’re so close to AGI I swear bro!
Interesting, I’ve only had the hexagon thing happen to me in plywood, but it seems it can happen in regular wood as well.
DempstersBox@lemmy.world 5 days ago
Incredible.
When my drill bits are super, super dull, they make smooth triangles. Like triangular shaped holes, with no true points or flat edges. If I get crooked while laying on it and drilling (not uncommon with a dull-ass bit) two lobes will stand out more clearly than the side I’m not leaning towards.
Not hexagons, and sure as hell not cones.
Now if they’re sharp, it’s just a fucking hole. Circular. Like they’re supposed to be
Buy me new drill bits. for science
Ulvain@sh.itjust.works 5 days ago
Because the fox made it into the henhouse.
Now all the hexagon.
AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net 5 days ago
I feel like I just got goatsed by Saturn
user1234@lemmynsfw.com 5 days ago
Isn’t it obvious? Someone put a hex on it
Shaper@lemmy.world 5 days ago
This was the topic of an awesome old web comic strip, I believe it was from smbc. It was a debate of two where one would simply state the existence of the hexagon, with increasing amounts of slurs. Banger.
Shaper@lemmy.world 5 days ago
Yup found it: www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2010-07-06
There’s an xkcd one also, but not as funny: xkcd.com/2513/?ref=refind
vala@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 days ago
Those are not slurs lol
avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 5 days ago
Because hexagons are the bestagons.
halvar@lemy.lol 5 days ago
the only answer i’ll ever need
Matty_r@programming.dev 5 days ago
Bestagons, Roll out!
wait…
Hupf@feddit.org 5 days ago
Image
RichardDegenne@lemmy.zip 5 days ago
SUPER BESTAGON
not_so_handsome_jack@sh.itjust.works 5 days ago
BEGIN
Matriks404@lemmy.world 4 days ago
!lemmygold