The mysteries of Venus
Hidden behind its dense clouds, Venus has always been hard to explore. Scientists now believe that the acidic clouds of Venus could harbour life. Mysterious dark patches have been observed in ultraviolet images, suggesting that microbes could exist in water droplets, absorbing light from the Sun for their metabolism.
ESA’s Venus Express is allowing the scientific community to make the first global study of the planet’s suffocating atmosphere in different wavelengths and is bringing new important information about its composition.
This European mission aims to understand what initially triggered the dramatic greenhouse effect on Venus where surface temperatures reach 400°C and the causes of its hurricane force winds.
For more information on this Venus Express image, please click on the following link: Dark vortex, South Pole of Venus.