Mysterious Phenomenon in Venus' Atmosphere Absorbing Unexpected Levels of Sunlight

Venus's Pale Clouds Conceal a Surprisingly Dark Secret

Venus appears as a pale yellow planet in visible light, but ultraviolet images reveal a very different picture. These UV images display striking dark and bright patterns moving across the planet’s upper clouds. Scientists have been observing these patterns for nearly a century, yet they still haven’t identified the chemical responsible for creating them. This […] The post Venus’s Pale Clouds Conceal a Surprisingly Dark Secret appeared first on D…

Venus’s Pale Clouds May Be Hiding a Surprisingly Dark Mystery

Venus looks like a pale yellow world in visible light, but ultraviolet images tell a very different story. They reveal striking dark and bright patterns moving through the planet’s upper clouds. Scientists have observed these patterns for about a century, but they still do not know what chemical is creating them. Researchers call the mysterious […] The post Venus’s Pale Clouds May Be Hiding a Surprisingly Dark Mystery appeared first on Knowridge…

Mysterious Phenomenon in Venus' Atmosphere Absorbing Unexpected Levels of Sunlight

A new study puts strict limits on the unknown “matter” responsible for Venus’ dark ultraviolet marks, suggesting it must either absorb sunlight with remarkable efficiency or be present in unusually high concentrations. Actual color Venus processed from Mariner 10 images. Image credit: Matthias Malmar / NASA. At visible wavelengths, Venus appears a calm, pale yellow [...] The post Mysterious Phenomenon in Venus’ Atmosphere Absorbing Unexpected Le…

Venus's mysterious clouds may hide an exceptionally strong light absorber

New modeling shows Venus's unknown ultraviolet absorber must be exceptionally strong or concentrated, tightening the search for its chemical identity.