ESA - Mars Express - Setting stars reveal planetary secrets

Europe goes to Mars

Europe reclaims a stake in Mars exploration Space age transforms our knowledge about Mars

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Setting stars reveal planetary secrets

5 November 2007

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This is an animation of Venus Express performing stellar occultation at Venus.

Venus Express is the first mission ever to apply the technique of stellar occultation at Venus. The technique consists of looking at a star through the atmospheric limb. By analysing the way the starlight is absorbed by the atmosphere, one can deduce the characteristics of the atmosphere itself.

Credits: ESA (Animation by AOES Medialab)

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A composite image of Venus, Earth and Mars.

Credits: Venus - ESA, Earth - ESA, Mars - ESA © 2007 MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/ RSSD/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

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Artist's impression of Envisat.

Credits: ESA

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An artist's impression of Mars Express. The spacecraft left Earth for Mars on 2 June 2003. It reached its destination after a six-month journey, and has been investigating the planet since early 2004.

Credits: ESA - D. Ducros

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