The study, published in the journal Science Advances, used decades-old Magellan data to identify possible signs of active tectonics at or below many of Venus' coronae. "Coronae are not found on Earth today; however, they may have existed when our planet was young and before plate tectonics had been established," said lead author Gael Cascioli, assistant research scientist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "By combining gravity and topography data, this research has provided a new and important insight into the possible subsurface processes currently shaping the surface of Venus."

The researchers developed sophisticated 3D geodynamic models to simulate various formation scenarios for plume-induced coronae. Of the 75 coronae studied, 52 show evidence of hot, buoyant mantle material beneath them, suggesting these plumes may be driving active tectonic processes. This includes subduction-like activity, where surface material sinks into the mantle, and lithospheric dripping, where denser, cooler material detaches and sinks under its own weight.

NASA's upcoming VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy) mission, set to launch no earlier than 2031, is expected to provide high-resolution gravity data that could confirm these findings. "The VERITAS gravity maps of Venus will boost the resolution by at least a factor of two to four, depending on location - a level of detail that could revolutionize our understanding of Venus' geology and implications for early Earth," said study coauthor Suzanne Smrekar, principal investigator for VERITAS.

Research Report:A spectrum of tectonic processes at coronae on Venus revealed by gravity and topography

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:43 AEST Washington DC (SPX) May 13, 2025 - New details about the crust on Venus include some surprises about the geology of Earth's hotter twin, according to new NASA-funded research that describes movements of the planet's crust.

Scientists expected the outermost layer of Venus' crust would grow thicker and thicker over time given its apparent lack of forces that would drive the crust back into the planet's interior. But the paper, published in Nature Communications, proposes a crust metamorphism process based on rock density and melting cycles.

Earth's rocky crust is made up of massive plates that slowly move, forming folds and faults in a process known as plate tectonics. For example, when two plates collide, the lighter plate slides on top of the denser one, forcing it downward into the layer beneath it, the mantle. This process, known as subduction, helps control the thickness of Earth's crust. The rocks making up the bottom plate experience changes caused by increasing temperature and pressure as it sinks deeper into the interior of the planet. Those changes are known as metamorphism, which is one cause of volcanic activity.

In contrast, Venus has a crust that is all one piece, with no evidence for subduction caused by plate tectonics like on Earth, explained Justin Filiberto, deputy chief of NASA's Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and a co-author on the paper. The paper used modeling to determine that its crust is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) thick on average and at most 40 miles (65 kilometers) thick.

"That is surprisingly thin, given conditions on the planet," said Filiberto. "It turns out that, according to our models, as the crust grows thicker, the bottom of it becomes so dense that it either breaks off and becomes part of the mantle or gets hot enough to melt." So, while Venus has no moving plates, its crust does experience metamorphism. This finding is an important step toward understanding geological processes and evolution of the planet.

"This breaking off or melting can put water and elements back into the planet's interior and help drive volcanic activity," added Filiberto. "This gives us a new model for how material returns to the interior of the planet and another way to make lava and spur volcanic eruptions. It resets the playing field for how the geology, crust, and atmosphere on Venus work together."

The next step, he added, is to gather direct data about Venus' crust to test and refine these models. Several upcoming missions, including NASA's DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) and VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy) and, in partnership with ESA (European Space Agency), Envision, aim to study the planet's surface and atmosphere in greater detail. These efforts could help confirm whether processes like metamorphism and recycling are actively shaping the Venusian crust today-and reveal how such activity may be tied to volcanic and atmospheric evolution.

"We don't actually know how much volcanic activity is on Venus," Filiberto said. "We assume there is a lot, and research says there should be, but we'd need more data to know for sure."

Research Report:Metamorphism of Venus as driver of crustal thickness and recycling

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:43 AEST Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 01, 2025 - Venus, a searing world cloaked in dense clouds and blanketed by volcanic structures, may possess a geologically dynamic crust far more active than previously believed. New findings from scientists at Washington University in St. Louis suggest that the planet's outer layer could be undergoing convection, a process rarely associated with planetary crusts, offering fresh insight into the planet's remarkable volcanic landscape.

"Nobody had really considered the possibility of convection in the crust of Venus before," said Slava Solomatov, professor of earth, environmental and planetary sciences at WashU. "Our calculations suggest that convection is possible and perhaps likely. If true, it gives us new insight into the evolution of the planet."

Published in Physics of Earth and Planetary Interiors, the study was co-authored by postdoctoral fellow Chhavi Jain. The research hinges on fluid dynamic models that the team developed to evaluate whether Venus' crust, given its unique thermal and structural conditions, could support convective motion.

Convection, familiar from Earth's mantle, involves hotter material rising while cooler matter sinks, setting up a self-sustaining flow. This circulation helps power Earth's tectonic activity. However, Earth's crust is generally too thin and cold to permit such behavior. On Venus, the crust may reach 30 to 90 kilometers in thickness and endure far higher temperatures, potentially making surface-level convection feasible.

Solomatov and Jain's theoretical analysis indicates that Venus' crust could maintain a convective cycle, introducing a previously overlooked mechanism for transporting interior heat to the surface. The implications are significant: this could help explain the abundance of volcanoes and other heat-related features scattered across the planet's terrain.

In contrast, the researchers had earlier concluded that Mercury lacks such convective activity, owing to its diminutive size and extensive cooling over billions of years. Venus, by comparison, remains intensely hot with surface temperatures soaring to 870 degrees Fahrenheit, sustaining the potential for crustal motion.

"Convection in the crust could be a key missing mechanism," Solomatov noted. The phenomenon may also influence the formation and distribution of volcanoes. In 2023, WashU's Paul Byrne compiled a global atlas mapping 85,000 Venusian volcanoes using radar data from NASA's Magellan mission. Solomatov and Byrne are now considering collaborations that would combine surface imaging with theoretical modeling to decode Venus' complex geology.

Future space missions could be pivotal in confirming crustal convection by measuring variations in crust density and temperature. Such variations would manifest as differences in gravity, potentially detectable through high-resolution instruments.

Beyond Venus, Solomatov pointed to Pluto as another compelling case. New Horizons images of Sputnik Planitia revealed patterns suggesting tectonic-like convection in a layer of solid nitrogen ice. "Pluto is probably only the second planetary body in the solar system, other than Earth, where convection that drives tectonics is clearly visible on the surface," Solomatov said. "It's a fascinating system that we still need to figure out."

Research Report:On the possibility of convection in the Venusian crust

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:43 AEST Moffett Field CA (SPX) Feb 28, 2025 - NASA engineers have successfully installed a high-performance heat shield on the first private spacecraft set to explore Venus, marking a significant milestone in commercial space exploration. The mission, led by Rocket Lab in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), represents the first privately funded venture to Venus.

The space capsule, designed to investigate Venus' clouds for potential signs of life, will be safeguarded by NASA's Heatshield for Extreme Entry Environment Technology (HEEET). Developed at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, HEEET is a specialized woven heat shield capable of withstanding temperatures as high as 4,500 degrees Fahrenheit. This technology is crucial for protecting the probe as it endures the planet's harsh atmospheric entry conditions.

Rocket Lab's Venus probe will be deployed from the company's Photon spacecraft bus, collecting vital atmospheric data during its descent. NASA's involvement in the mission focuses on leveraging its expertise in thermal protection systems to support commercial partners in advancing space exploration capabilities. The HEEET material, developed with support from NASA's Small Spacecraft Technology program under the Space Technology Mission Directorate, demonstrates how cutting-edge agency research is being applied to commercial missions.

By working closely with private companies like Rocket Lab, NASA continues to drive innovation in spacecraft design, contributing to the growth of the emerging space economy while expanding scientific knowledge of Venus and its atmospheric conditions.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:43 AEST Paris, France (SPX) Feb 04, 2025 - Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has finalized a 367 million euro contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the delivery of a new satellite supporting ESA's EnVision mission to Venus. This spacecraft will feature five instruments plus a radio science experiment.

Multiple space agencies will contribute to these instruments, including the Italian Space Agency (ASI), NASA, the French space agency (CNES), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and the Belgian Science Policy Center (BELSPO). The collaboration underscores a globally coordinated effort to deepen our knowledge of Earth's nearest planetary neighbor.

EnVision aims to systematically explore Venus from its innermost layers to the atmosphere above, offering fresh insights into the planet's past and present activity. Scientists hope to resolve how Venus, so similar to Earth in size and solar distance, became an inhospitable world.

Launched in November 2031, this new mission follows the precedent of Venus Express, Europe's previous major exploration effort more than two decades ago. The comprehensive investigations planned for EnVision are expected to yield unprecedented data on Venus's geology, evolution, and climate.

"I wanted to sincerely thank the European Space Agency for putting its trust in our company," Thales Alenia Space CEO Herve Derrey said. "Thales Alenia Space took part to iconic space exploration and science interplanetary missions across the solar system, including Mars with ExoMars, Mercury with BepiColombo, the Sun with Solar Orbiter, asteroids and comets with Rosetta-Philae, Saturn with Cassini-Huygens, and tomorrow the Moon with Artemis, not to mention Euclid that will explore dark energy and dark matter to better understand the origin of the Universe's accelerating expansion. This stunning mission will be a new step toward better understanding the deepest secrets of Venus, emphasizing in particular the many similarities and differences that exist between the Earth and the planet Venus, which is 41 million kilometers away from ours."

"We are extremely proud to announce our contribution to ESA's EnVision mission in partnership with NASA, 20 years after the historic Venus Express mission. This new initiative, which follows on from the extraordinary BepiColombo and ExoMars 2016 missions, represents a significant milestone for the industry as well as for space research," said Giampiero Di Paolo, Deputy CEO and Senior Vice President, Observation, Exploration and Navigation at Thales Alenia Space. "The EnVision mission, involving major international partners, is an ambitious program that will help us unravel the mysteries of the evolution of Venus, a planet so similar to Earth in many respects, but at the same time so different. With our experience and commitment, we are determined to support this crucial planetary mission, which promises to further our knowledge of our solar system."

"We are thrilled to partner with Thales Alenia Space on this ground-breaking new mission to Venus - said ESA Science Director, Prof. Carole Mundell - No other mission has ever attempted such a comprehensive investigation of our remarkably inhospitable neighbour. EnVision will answer fundamental questions about how a planet becomes habitable - or the opposite."

Following arrival at Venus, EnVision will undergo an extended aerobraking phase as it gradually lowers its orbit. The spacecraft will rely on its surfaces interacting with the planet's dense atmosphere, a delicate process that demands meticulous thermal and structural control over several months.

Once in a stable near-polar orbit, EnVision will gather data for around six Venusian years, equal to roughly four Earth years. Thales Alenia Space will draw on the aerobraking experience gained from the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter mission in 2016 to ensure safe orbital maneuvers.

In parallel, ESA has already approved development up to commissioning in Venus orbit, with an important system requirements review set for 2025. During this period, Thales Alenia Space will finalize the industrial partnership, aiming for a full go-ahead for Phase C/D by June 2026.

As prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space will oversee the entire spacecraft, which carries the following payloads contributed by ESA member states and NASA:

+ VenSAR (Venus Synthetic Aperture Radar)

+ VenSpec suite (spectrometer suite) consisting of:

+ VenSpec-H (High-Resolution Infrared Spectrometer)

+ VenSpec-U (Ultraviolet Spectral Imager)

+ VenSpec-M (Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer) and Central Control Unit (CCU)

+ Subsurface Radar Sounder (SRS)

+ Radio Science Experiment (RSE)

In this architecture, OHB will manage mechanical, thermal, and propulsion subsystems, while Thales Alenia Space in France oversees the Attitude and Orbit Control Subsystem (AOCS) and the aerobraking analysis. Thales Alenia Space in Italy leads the overall design, ensuring tight coordination among the international collaborators.

EnVision was officially adopted in 2024 by ESA's Science Programme Committee as the fifth medium-class mission under the Agency's Cosmic Vision plan. NASA will support the mission by providing VenSAR and crucial Deep Space Network coverage. After a 15-month cruise, EnVision will spend about a year aerobraking to achieve its low-polar orbit.

Once it settles at an altitude between 220 and 540 km with an orbital period of around 94 minutes, the mission team will begin comprehensive observations to better understand Venus's geology, atmospheric behavior, and evolutionary trajectory. This collaborative effort promises to reshape our view of Earth's sister planet.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:43 AEST Greenbelt MD (SPX) Dec 17, 2024 - NASA's DAVINCI - Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging - mission embodies the spirit of innovation and exploration that its namesake, Leonardo da Vinci, was famous for.

Scheduled to launch in the early 2030s, DAVINCI will explore Venus with both a spacecraft and a descent probe. DAVINCI's probe will be the first in the 21st century to brave Venus' atmosphere as it descends from above the planet's clouds down to its surface. Two other missions, NASA's VERITAS and ESA's (European Space Agency) Envision, will also explore Venus in the 2030s from the planet's orbit.

The DAVINCI spacecraft will study Venus' clouds and highlands during two flybys. It also will release a spherical probe, about 3 feet wide, that will plunge through the planet's thick atmosphere and corrosive clouds, taking measurements and capturing high-resolution images of the Venusian surface as it descends below the clouds.

Here are some of DAVINCI's coming "firsts" in Venus exploration:

Exploring Solar System's One-of-a-Kind Terrain

Thought to be ancient continents, tesserae like Alpha Regio may be among the oldest surfaces on the planet, offering scientists access to rocks that are billions of years old.

By studying these rocks from above Alpha Regio, DAVINCI scientists may learn whether ancient Venus had continents and oceans, and how water may have influenced the surface.

Photographing One of the Oldest Surfaces on Venus

With surface temperatures reaching 900 F and air pressure 90 times that of Earth's, Venus' harsh environment makes exploration challenging, while its opaque atmosphere obscures direct views. Typically, scientists rely on radar instruments from Earth or Venus-orbiting spacecraft to study its terrain.

But DAVINCI's probe will descend through the atmosphere and below the clouds for a clear view of the mountains and plains. It will capture images comparable to an airplane's landing view of Earth's surface. Scientists will use the photos to compile 3D maps of Alpha Regio that will provide more detail than ever of Venus' terrain, helping them look for rocks that are usually only made in association with water.

Unveiling Secrets of Venus' Mysterious Lower Atmosphere

This region is critical because it contains gases and chemical compounds that may originate from Venus' lower clouds, surface, or even subsurface.

For example, sulfur compounds detected here could indicate whether Venusian volcanoes are currently active or were active in the recent past. Noble gases (like helium or xenon), on the other hand, remain chemically inert and maintain stable concentrations, offering invaluable clues about Venus' ancient history, such as the planet's past water inventory.

By comparing Venus' noble gas composition with that of Earth and Mars, scientists can better understand why these planets - despite forming from similar starting materials - evolved into dramatically different worlds.

Moreover, DAVINCI's measurements of isotopes and trace gases in the lower atmosphere will shed light on Venus' water history, from ancient times to the present, and the processes that triggered the planet's extreme greenhouse effect.

State-of-the-Art Technology to Study Venus in Detail

The descent probe will be better equipped than previous probes to protect the sensitive electronics inside of it, as it will be lined on the inside with high-temperature, multi-layer insulation - layers of advanced ceramic and silica fabrics separated by aluminum sheets.

Venus' super thick atmosphere will slow the probe's descent, but a parachute will also be released to slow it down further. Most Earth-friendly parachute fabrics, like nylon, would dissolve in Venus' sulfuric acid clouds, so DAVINCI will have to use a different type of material than previous Venus missions did: one that's resistant to acids and five times stronger than steel.

Read More: Old Data Yields New Secrets as NASA's DAVINCI Preps for Venus Trip here

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:43 AEST London, UK (SPX) Dec 06, 2024 - In the coming decade, astronomers will begin exploring the atmospheres of Earth- and Venus-sized planets orbiting nearby stars. Despite their physical similarities, Venus and Earth have drastically different atmospheres. This raises the question: could scientists distinguish between these "twin" planets if observed from light-years away?

Researchers from the Instituto de Astrofisica e Ciencias do Espaco (IA) tackled this question by simulating Venus as an exoplanet. Their findings, published in *Atmosphere*, confirm that methods used for studying large, hot exoplanets can effectively apply to much smaller planets, such as Earth or Venus. This research also helps identify markers that distinguish nitrogen-rich atmospheres like Earth's from the carbon dioxide-dominated environment of Venus.

"The techniques currently used to study the atmosphere of exoplanets are effective for giant planets close to their star, thus with a hot atmosphere. However, it is challenging to study the atmosphere of bodies as small as Earth or Venus," said Alexandre Branco, lead author and MSc student at IA and the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (Ciencias ULisboa). "The most promising targets are often bathed in a stellar radiation regime much like Venus, so 'ExoVenus' are most likely to be the first small worlds to have their atmosphere characterised. Our work had this aim of looking at Venus as if we were looking at an exoplanet."

Analyzing the 2012 Venus Transit

This method becomes increasingly challenging with smaller planets due to weaker signals and more noise. However, upcoming facilities like ESO's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) and ESA's Ariel mission will bring such planets within reach.

By applying their techniques to Venus transit data, the researchers demonstrated the capability of these methods to work with next-generation instruments. Yet challenges remain, as Venus viewed from afar could resemble Earth, complicating the identification of "true Earth-like" planets.

Pedro Machado, IA researcher and study co-author, explained: "The high temperatures intrinsic to rocky planets with an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide, and thus subject to intense greenhouse effect, lead to a chemically active environment, with many chemical transitions. This makes this type of atmosphere easy to detect."

Co-author Olivier Demangeon of IA and the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP) added, "Venus' atmosphere is around 90 times denser than Earth and is also significantly hotter. So much so that, despite being denser, Venus' atmosphere is larger. Larger and denser both imply a strong signature in our observations. We detected some faint signatures of carbon dioxide on the Venus data that are not expected in Earth-like atmospheres. Yet, it is still not the most efficient way to differentiate between the two planets."

Implications for Solar System Studies

"These observations help estimate isotopic ratios, which reveal information about temperature and pressure conditions over time," said Branco. This approach aligns with the goals of ESA's upcoming Venus mission, EnVision, which aims to study Venus's atmospheric evolution.

The research underscores the potential of instruments like the ANDES spectrograph for ESO's ELT and ESA's Ariel mission to further characterize exoplanets and Solar System bodies alike. Ariel, set to study the atmospheres of roughly 1,000 exoplanets, will directly benefit from this team's work.

"Adapting sophisticated techniques for nearby planets validates their use in exploring distant worlds," Machado noted. "We are preparing observations that will benefit from this technique to probe the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn when a bright star passes behind them as seen from Earth."

Research Report:Transmission Spectroscopy Along the Transit of Venus: A Proxy for Exoplanets Atmospheric Characterization

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:43 AEST London, UK (SPX) Dec 03, 2024 - A study led by astronomers at the University of Cambridge has determined that Venus has likely remained a dry, inhospitable planet for its entire history, countering long-standing speculation that the planet may have once hosted liquid water or conditions suitable for life.

Using an analysis of the chemical composition of Venus's atmosphere, the team inferred that the planet's interior lacks the moisture necessary to sustain oceans. This discovery challenges theories of a once temperate Venus and suggests its surface has always been unfit for Earth-like life.

The findings, published in Nature Astronomy, have significant implications for understanding Earth's unique habitability and refining the search for life on exoplanets. The study suggests astronomers should prioritize Earth-like planets over Venus-like ones in their search for habitable worlds.

"Venus and Earth may appear similar from a distance," said lead researcher Tereza Constantinou, a PhD candidate at Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy. "However, Venus's surface, with its intense heat and sulfuric acid clouds, tells a very different story. If Venus never had oceans, it's hard to imagine it ever supporting life like that on Earth."

Venus's Role in Understanding Habitability

"Venus provides a critical reference point for defining the habitable zone in planetary systems," Constantinou explained. "It's an invaluable example of how a rocky planet can evolve differently, even within a similar proximity to its star."

Two dominant theories have shaped debates about Venus's past. One posits that Venus was once temperate and water-rich but experienced a runaway greenhouse effect due to extensive volcanism. The other suggests Venus has always been too hot for water to condense, rendering it uninhabitable from its formation 4.6 billion years ago.

A New Approach

Volcanism, which releases gases into the atmosphere during eruptions, serves as a window into the planet's interior. On Earth, volcanic eruptions are steam-rich due to our water-abundant interior. On Venus, however, volcanic gases are only about six percent water, reflecting a dehydrated planetary interior.

"This data suggests Venus has been dry for most, if not all, of its existence," Constantinou noted. "The volcanic gases necessary to sustain the atmosphere don't indicate any significant water content in the interior."

Future Exploration

"If Venus has always been dry, it diminishes the chances of Venus-like exoplanets being habitable," Constantinou said. "We must focus our efforts on Earth-like planets, as instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope are optimized for studying planets closer to their stars, such as Venus."

While the findings may be disappointing for those hoping Venus once resembled Earth, they offer a clearer pathway for identifying habitable planets in the galaxy. "It's a bittersweet realization," Constantinou added. "But refining our understanding helps us better target our search for life elsewhere in the universe."

Research Report:A dry Venusian interior constrained by atmospheric chemistry

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:43 AEST Washington DC (SPX) Nov 28, 2024 - Instruments aboard robotic landers have measured seismicity on the Moon and Mars, helping researchers learn about the inner workings of those celestial bodies. But the internal makeup of Venus is still not known, in part because high winds and blistering temperatures make it significantly more difficult to detect quakes on the second planet from the Sun.

Three approaches to studying quakes on Venus are currently plausible, write Garcia et al. Ground sensors like those used on the Moon and Mars can measure seismic waves. Balloon-based pressure sensors can measure infrasound waves, a form of low-frequency waves in the atmosphere created by quakes. And satellite-based instruments can measure airglow, or light emissions from molecules in the upper atmosphere that show subtle variations when perturbed by infrasound waves. In this study, the authors considered current estimates of seismicity on the planet to weigh the pros and cons of each method.

Sensors on Venus's surface could detect quakes smaller than magnitude 4.0, but current ground-based technologies would likely survive less than a day on Venus, where surface temperatures exceed 450C. Balloons similar to those used in the Soviet Vega program might survive for months, and their ability to detect and characterize seismic waves on Earth was recently documented for the first time. However, they can detect quakes of only magnitude 4.0-4.5 and larger. Satellite-based imagers taking airglow measurements could detect venusquakes of about the same magnitude, and they may be able to gather data for years.

Airglow measurements currently offer the best option for detecting seismic activity on Venus, the authors conclude. If possible, combining airglow measurements with longer-duration balloon-based sensors would offer an even more robust approach and reduce the possibility of misinterpreted readings, they say.

Their study helps constrain requirements for future Venusian missions aimed at studying seismicity while pointing to areas for improvement. These areas include better understanding the geographical distribution of quakes and creating more detailed noise models for each technology.

Research Report:Three ways to track venusquakes, from balloons to satellites

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:43 AEST Greenbelt MD (SPX) Nov 05, 2024 - On Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, NASA's Parker Solar Probe will complete its final Venus gravity assist maneuver, passing within 233 miles (376 km) of Venus' surface. The flyby will adjust Parker's trajectory into its final orbital configuration, bringing the spacecraft to within an unprecedented 3.86 million miles of the solar surface on Dec. 24, 2024. It will be the closest any human made object has been to the Sun.

Parker's Venus flybys have become boons for new Venus science thanks to a chance discovery from its Wide-Field Imager for Parker Solar Probe, or WISPR. The instrument peers out from Parker and away from the Sun to see fine details in the solar wind. But on July 11, 2020, during Parker's third Venus flyby, scientists turned WISPR toward Venus in hopes of tracking changes in the planet's thick cloud cover. The images revealed a surprise: A portion of WISPR's data, which captures visible and near infrared light, seemed to see all the way through the clouds to the Venusian surface below.

"The WISPR cameras can see through the clouds to the surface of Venus, which glows in the near-infrared because it's so hot," said Noam Izenberg, a space scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

Venus, sizzling at approximately 869 degrees Fahrenheit (about 465 C), was radiating through the clouds.

The WISPR images from the 2020 flyby, as well as the next flyby in 2021, revealed Venus' surface in a new light. But they also raised puzzling questions, and scientists have devised the Nov. 6 flyby to help answer them.

The Venus images correspond well with data from the Magellan spacecraft, showing dark and light patterns that line up with surface regions Magellan captured when it mapped Venus' surface using radar from 1990 to 1994. Yet some parts of the WISPR images appear brighter than expected, hinting at extra information captured by WISPR's data. Is WISPR picking up on chemical differences on the surface, where the ground is made of different material? Perhaps it's seeing variations in age, where more recent lava flows added a fresh coat to the Venusian surface.

"Because it flies over a number of similar and different landforms than the previous Venus flybys, the Nov. 6 flyby will give us more context to evaluate whether WISPR can help us distinguish physical or even chemical properties of Venus' surface," Izenberg said.

After the Nov. 6 flyby, Parker will be on course to swoop within 3.8 million miles of the solar surface, the final objective of the historic mission first conceived over 65 years ago. No human-made object has ever passed this close to a star, so Parker's data will be charting as-yet uncharted territory. In this hyper-close regime, Parker will cut through plumes of plasma still connected to the Sun. It is close enough to pass inside a solar eruption, like a surfer diving under a crashing ocean wave.

"This is a major engineering accomplishment," said Adam Szabo, project scientist for Parker Solar Probe at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

The closest approach to the Sun, or perihelion, will occur on Dec. 24, 2024, during which mission control will be out of contact with the spacecraft. Parker will send a beacon tone on Dec. 27, 2024, to confirm its success and the spacecraft's health. Parker will remain in this orbit for the remainder of its mission, completing two more perihelia at the same distance.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:43 AEST Subscribe to our daily selection of space, military, environment and energy newsletters responseText http://visitor.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=0016gbbKsaiGSpQFojVO8ZoHw%3D%3D