Huge storm on Saturn observed by ESO's Very Large Telescope

Thermal infrared images of Saturn from the VISIR instrument on ESO���s VLT (centre and right) and an amateur visible-light image (left) from Trevor Barry (Broken Hill, Australia) obtained on 19 January 2011 during the mature phase of the northern storm.��The second image is taken at a wavelength that reveals the structures in Saturn���s lower atmosphere, showing the churning storm clouds and the central cooler vortex.��The third image is sensitive to much higher altitudes in Saturn���s normally peaceful stratosphere, where we see the unexpected beacons of infrared emission flanking the central cool region over the storm.