Night on Venus in Infrared from Orbiting Akatsuki
Explanation:
Why is Venus so different from Earth?
To help find out, Japan launched the robotic
Akatsuki spacecraft which
entered orbit around Venus late
last year after an unplanned five-year adventure around the inner
Solar System.
Even though Akatsuki has passed its original planned lifetime, the spacecraft and its instruments
are operating so well that much of its original mission has been
reinstated.
In the
featured image taken by
Akatsuki late last month,
Venus was captured in infrared light showing a surprising amount of
atmospheric
structure on its night side.
The vertical orange
terminator stripe
between night and day is so wide because of light is so diffused by
Venus' thick atmosphere.
Also known as the
Venus Climate Orbiter,
Akatsuki has cameras and
instruments that will
investigate unknowns about the planet, including whether
volcanoes are still active,
whether lightning occurs in the dense atmosphere, and why wind speeds
greatly exceed the planet's rotation speed.
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.
