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Climate catastrophes in the Solar System

26 April 2007

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From what scientists know now, it is possible that Venus and Mars started out a lot like Earth.

At some point in time, each planet followed a path that changed its climate. The transition was from Earth-like to either a cloudy inferno (Venus) or a frigid desert (Mars). Data from Venus Express and Mars express is now helping scientists determine if, when and why each planet passed the point of no-return.

Credits: USSR Venera 13 Camera II, ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)

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Radiation from below the Venusian cloud deck

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The false-colour view is the composite of three infrared images acquired by the Ultraviolet, Visible and Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIRTIS) on board ESA's Venus Express on 22 July 2006, at a time interval of about 30 minutes from each other and from a distance of about 65 000 kilometres over the planet's surface. Venus was in the night side.

The image, taken at a wavelength of 1.7-micrometre, shows the thermal radiation emitted from about 15-20 kilometres altitude. The brighter the colour (towards white), the more radiation comes from the surface, so the less cloudy the region in the line of sight between the view and the spacecraft is.

Credits: ESA/VIRTIS/INAF-IASF/Obs. de Paris-LESIA

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This image of fluvial surface features at Mangala Valles on Mars was obtained by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board the ESA Mars Express spacecraft.

The image was taken during orbit 299 with a resolution of 28 metres per pixel. The image centre is located at 209° E longitude and 5° S latitude. For practical use on the internet, the image has been reduced in resolution.

Credits: ESA/DLR/FU (G. Neukum)

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