Saturn’s atmosphere appears similar to Jupiter’s, with alternating dark
belts and bright zones, circulating storm regions, and other dark and
light cloud markings. Saturn’s belt and zone system extends to higher
latitudes than those on Jupiter, and all of the features are muted by a
thick atmospheric haze, perhaps 70 kilometers (40 miles) deep.
Wind speeds up to 1500 kilometers per hour (900 miles per hour) occur at
the equator—four to five times faster than any Jovian winds.
Temperatures near the cloudtops range from 86 to 92 kelvins (-305° to
-294° Fahrenheit)—nearly 60 degrees colder than at Jupiter. Saturn still
radiates about 2.8 times as much heat as it receives from the Sun. The
coolest temperatures are found at the center of the equatorial zone.
Auroral emissions have been seen near Saturn’s poles, and auroral-type
emissions have been seen in ultraviolet light near the illuminated limb
of the planet.
Lightning bolts have not been seen on Saturn, but radio emissions
typical of lightning discharges have been recorded. The source of these
discharges is believed to be the rings rather than Saturn’s atmosphere.