Venus Express mission

Date: Tue, Jun 05, 2012 | 06:30 - 06:45 GMT | 08:30 - 08:45 CEST

Type: ESA TV Exchange

Format: 16:9

The MPEG-2 files are available from the Venus Express mission video production page.

On June 05, the transit of planet Venus in front of the Sun will be visible form the Earth. An event that only happens twice every 112 years.

Venus, along with Mars, is the Earth's closest planetary neighbour. The planet symbolises beauty and love in many cultures. Always an object of fascination for astronomers, its transit across the face of the sun has always been a great event and this time there is a big bonus a satellite is circling the planet: Venus Express launched by ESA in 2005.

Venus Express has allowed for an intensive observation giving the scientific community a better understanding of this very hostile planet with a surface temperature of around 400 degrees. Some of Venus mysteries are being unveiled.

This video story explains what we know now about our closest neighbour while at Europe's space astronomy centre, ESAC near Madrid, the team were rehearsing the complex observation of Venus transit in front of the Sun.

More backgroud information can be found on:http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Express/index.html

Script:
EbS85771.doc