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Volume 475 Issue 7354, 7 July 2011

Six Great White Spot (GWS) events have been observed in the atmosphere of Saturn since 1876. These giant convective storms occur roughly once every Saturnian year (equal to 29.5 Earth years). The sixth GWS erupted in December 2010 and has been the subject of intense observation. Two papers in this issue present the details of some of these observations. Sánchez-Lavega et al. report that the storm developed at northern latitudes in the peak of a weak westward jet during early northern springtime. The storm head moved faster than the jet and triggered a disturbance that circled the planet. Numerical simulations show that Saturn’s winds extend without decay deep down into the weather layer. Fischer et al. report that the storm reached a width of 10,000 kilometres within three weeks. Its lightning flash rates are an order of magnitude greater than those seen in previous storms, peaking at more than 10 flashes per second. In the cover image, taken on 25 February 2011, the clouds have formed a tail that wraps around the planet. Image: C. Porco and CICLOPS (NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI).

Editorial

  • Underhand attempts by the US Congress to bypass regulatory decisions made by federal agencies erode science-based policy.

    Editorial

    Advertisement

  • The US Department of Energy must learn from its shoddy response to misconduct allegations.

    Editorial
  • The final mission of the space shuttle heralds difficult days for space science.

    Editorial
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World View

  • Upcoming change fails to tackle the pernicious relationship between government advisers and the fishing lobby, says Rainer Froese.

    • Rainer Froese
    World View
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Research Highlights

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Seven Days

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News

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News Q&A

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News

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News Feature

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Comment

  • A consortium of researchers, advocates and clinicians announces here research priorities for improving the lives of people with mental illness around the world, and calls for urgent action and investment.

    • Pamela Y. Collins
    • Vikram Patel
    • Mark Walport

    Special:

    Comment
  • Basing regulations on a term with no scientific justification will do more harm than good, argues Andrew D. Maynard.

    • Andrew D. Maynard
    Comment
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Summer Books

  • As holidays beckon, Nature's reviewers and editors offer a selection of reading for researchers away from the bench and lecture hall.

    • Sonja Lyubomirsky
    • Nick Salafsky
    • Bruno Scrosati
    Summer Books
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Correspondence

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Correction

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News & Views

  • A model based on geophysical data from the Indian Ocean suggests that a mantle-plume head may once have coupled the motions of the African and Indian tectonic plates, and determined their respective speeds. See Article p.47

    • R. Dietmar Müller
    News & Views
  • Copper is vital to most cells, but too much is lethal. The structure of a protein that pumps copper ions out of the cytosol provides insight into both the pumping mechanism and how certain mutations in the protein cause disease. See Article p.59

    • Nigel J. Robinson
    News & Views
  • Reactive oxygen species (ROS) get a bad press, as evidenced by the notable trend in the use of dietary and cosmetic antioxidants. New work suggests, however, that ROS might have a role in mitigating certain cancers. See Letter p.106

    • Rushika M. Perera
    • Nabeel Bardeesy
    News & Views
  • Springtime on Saturn came in with a bang last December, when a massive storm erupted in its north temperate zone. This rare event has been observed in unprecedented detail from the ground and from space. See Letters p.71 & p.75

    • Peter Read
    News & Views
  • Acetaldehyde, a reactive metabolite of ethanol, can damage DNA unless properly processed. A biochemical pathway involved in Fanconi anaemia seems to be essential for protection against such damage. See Article p.53

    • Hans Joenje
    News & Views
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Article

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Letter

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Corrigendum

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Technology Feature

  • Monitoring technologies and genetic engineering are producing a growing array of animal models for psychiatric disorders, but researchers are still learning how best to use them.

    • Monya Baker
    Technology Feature
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Column

  • Before you can tackle the overwhelming task of huge writing projects, you must first put aside some widely held myths, say Maria Gardiner and Hugh Kearns

    • Maria Gardiner
    • Hugh Kearns
    Column
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Career Brief

  • Stronger science education is needed to build interest in related careers.

    Career Brief
  • Online forum matches queries about employers with answers from current employees.

    Career Brief
  • Control of their work schedules helps women to stay in jobs after childbirth, study finds.

    Career Brief
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Q&A

  • Risky research direction pays off for biochemist and award-winning young investigator Job Dekker.

    • Virginia Gewin
    Q&A
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Futures

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