Venus: Just Passing By
Explanation:
Venus,
the second closest planet to the Sun, is a popular
way-point for spacecraft headed for the
gas giant planets
in the outer reaches of the solar system.
Why visit Venus first?
Using a "
gravity assist " maneuver,
spacecraft can swing by planets and gain energy during their brief
encounter saving fuel for use at the end of
their long interplanetary voyage.
This colorized image of Venus was recorded by the Jupiter-bound
Galileo spacecraft shortly after its gravity assist flyby of Venus in
February of 1990.
Galileo's glimpse of
the veiled planet shows structure in
swirling sulfuric acid clouds.
The bright area is sunlight
glinting off the upper cloud deck.
A recent intriguing but controversial
hypothesis holds that living
microbes might exist in the
upper clouds of
Venus.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
