Northumbria University scientists using the sensitive instruments on board the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have detected several mysterious structures orbiting at different altitudes above Saturn that they cannot explain.
A statement announcing the unexpected discoveries said the unexplained features, which included “a series of dark, bead-like features embedded in bright auroral halos” in the ionosphere and an “asymmetric star-shaped feature” 500km lower in the atmosphere, also appear to be aligned with each other, perhaps hinting at their origin and purpose.
The Northumbria research team hopes to utilize JWST to take advantage of the ringed planet’s current equinox position, as it may be a decade and a half before they have the same viewing opportunity.
According to Professor Tom Stallard of Northumbria University, who presented the findings at the EPSC-DPS2025 Joint Meeting in Helsinki, the team’s study was designed to characterize Saturn’s atmospheric dynamics in unprecedented detail thanks to the sensitive instruments aboard JWST. However, when the team examined the results gathered from Saturn’s aurora and upper atmosphere by the observatory’s Near-Infrared Spectrometer, they saw a series of unusual structures at different altitudes that astronomers had never previously reported.
“The results came as a complete surprise,” Professor Stallard said.
Instead of the broadband emissions they expected to see occurring at various levels, the professor said his team saw a “fine-scaled pattern of beads and stars” that they couldn’t identify. Stallard also noted the apparent connection between the bead pattern that occurred at an altitude of 1,100 km and the star-like structures hovering 600 km above Saturn’s surface.
Montage of stills from animation showing the dark, bead-like features embedded in bright auroral halos as Saturn rotates beneath JWST’s view. Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/Stallard et al 2025.
Although the team suspects that the structures may also be connected to the famous hexagon found deeper in Saturn’s clouds, they do not have an immediate explanation for their origin or purpose.
“These features were completely unexpected and, at present, are completely unexplained,” Stallard said.
To better understand the dynamics behind the structures above Saturn, the team mapped the locations of the bead-shaped features at higher altitudes and the star-shaped features at the lower altitudes. When comparing the two maps, the team found that the features “overlaid the same region of Saturn” only at different altitudes.
“Tantalisingly, the darkest beads in the ionosphere appear to line up with the strongest star-arm in the stratosphere, but it’s not clear at this point whether they are actually linked or whether it’s just a coincidence,” Stallard said.
Montage of stills from animation showing near infrared emissions in Saturn’s stratosphere, revealing the four star-arm features flowing from the pole towards the equator, as the planet rotates beneath JWST’s view. Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/Stallard et al 2025.
The professor also said his team suspects the dark beads may be caused by complex interactions between the planet’s magnetosphere and its atmosphere, “potentially providing new insights into the energy exchange that drives Saturn’s aurora.”
“The asymmetric star pattern suggests previously unknown atmospheric processes operating in Saturn’s stratosphere, possibly linked to the hexagonal storm pattern observed deeper in Saturn’s atmosphere,” he explained.
Although the Northumbria team believes that further observations could explain the nature and origin of the mysterious structures, they are facing a short timeline to accomplish those observations before the planet’s rotation changes and the equinox, which occurs every 15 years, ends. Follow-up observations are also dependent on booking more time on JWST, as there are no other observatories capable of gathering the necessary data.
“Since neither atmospheric layer can be observed using ground-based telescopes, the need for JWST follow-up observations during this key time of seasonal change on Saturn is pressing,” Stallard said.
The study “JWST/NIRSpec detection of complex structures in Saturn’s sub-auroral ionosphere and stratosphere” was published in Geophysical Research Letters.
Christopher Plain is a Science Fiction and Fantasy novelist and Head Science Writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X, learn about his books at plainfiction.com, or email him directly at christopher@thedebrief.org.