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JWST Spots Unexplained ‘Dark Beads’ and Lopsided Star Pattern Above Saturn’s North Pole

Peer-reviewed maps from NIRSpec reveal layered structures that scientists plan to reobserve during Saturn’s equinox.

Saturn’s Hexagon
The lopsided star in the stratosphere (left) and dark beads in the ionosphere (right).

Overview

  • Researchers report bead-like H3+ features in the ionosphere and an asymmetric four-armed star pattern in the stratosphere above the planet’s hexagon.
  • The darkest beads appear to line up with the star’s strongest arm, though the team says any vertical link remains unproven.
  • JWST/NIRSpec simultaneously tracked H3+ at roughly 1,100 km and methane at about 600 km during a 10-hour observation on Nov. 29, 2024.
  • The findings were published Aug. 28 in Geophysical Research Letters and presented at the EPSC‑DPS2025 meeting in Helsinki.
  • The team is seeking additional JWST time during Saturn’s current equinox to see if the structures persist or evolve, since ground-based telescopes cannot probe these layers.