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Originally Posted by Kenneth Chang, New York Times
On the whole, the atmosphere on Earth rotates about the same speed as the planet. So why does the air on slow-spinning Venus speed around so much faster than the planet itself?
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In an article in today's New York Times, Kenneth Chang discusses how
the Japanese space probe
Akatsuki, currently in orbit around Venus,
might help solve the mystery.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Kenneth Chang, New York Times
Scientists working on the mission are presenting some of their early findings at a meeting this week of the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences in Pasadena, Calif.
That is not just an idle trivia question for planetary scientists. Computer models of our own weather fail when applied to Venus, and knowledge of the planet’s workings could better our understanding of Earth’s.
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Kenneth Chang, New York Times
The camera that captures long-wavelength infrared light from the cloud tops discovered an arc-shaped white streak that stretched some 6,000 miles from nearly the south pole to nearly the north pole.
Curiously, this giant atmospheric feature does not move with the atmosphere. “It seems to be fixed to the ground Dr. Satoh said. The arc sits above Aphrodite Terra, a highland region about the size of Africa that rises up to three miles from the surface. Scientists working on data from the Venus Express reported a similar finding in July. |
Article here -
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/18/sc...apan.html?_r=0
