If you monitor Saturn's atmosphere and you see a storm near its equator at a longitude of 0° west on one day and at a longitude of 90° west three days later, what is the average wind speed on Saturn at this storm's latitude? Note that these positions are measured on a coordinate system that rotates with the planet's interior, and the radius of Saturn is 6 *10⁷ m.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The storm moved 90° in 3 days. Since Saturn rotates 360° in about 10.7 hours, the storm's movement relative to the planet's rotation can be calculated. The circumference of Saturn is approximately 2π(6 x 10^7 m). The storm's movement in meters can be calculated and divided by the time to find the average wind speed.

If You Monitor Saturn's Atmosphere and You See a Storm