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Planetary science

A twist on periodicity at Saturn

Saturn's nominal rotation period is timed by a 'radio clock' that counts bursts of emissions controlled by the planet's magnetic field. Buffeting by the solar wind may explain the clock's irregularities.

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Figure 1: Generation of radio emissions at Saturn.

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Kivelson, M. A twist on periodicity at Saturn. Nature 450, 178–179 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/450178a

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