Posted on 04/13/2006 11:33:44 PM PDT by raygun
ESA's Venus Express has returned the first-ever images of the hothouse planets south pole from a distance of 206 452 kilometres, showing surprisingly clear structures and unexpected detail. The images were taken 12 April during the spacecrafts initial capture orbit after successful arrival on 11 April 2006.
Engineers have lost no time in switching on several of the instruments and yesterday the VMC (Venus Monitoring Camera) and VIRTIS (Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer) imaged, for the first time in space history, the southern hemisphere of Venus as the spacecraft passed below the planet in an elliptical arc.
(Excerpt) Read more at esa.int ...
If the orbit of this thing is going to decrease to 155 miles, wouldn't the spacecraft be bathed in sulfuric acid fumes (and as a result subject to acid erosion)?
ping
Cool, thanks for posting.
You Who.

Composite, false-colour view of Venus south pole captured by VIRTIS 12 April 2006 onboard Venus Express.
Credits: ESA/INAF-IASF, Rome, Italy, and Observatoire de Paris, France

False-colour view imaged in ultraviolet of Venus south pole captured by VMC 12 April 2006 onboard Venus Express.
Credits: ESA/MPS, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany

View imaged in ultraviolet of Venus south pole captured by VMC 12 April 2006 onboard Venus Express.
Credits: ESA/MPS, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
So, how is the polar ice cap doing?
Express BTTT
I think I see a face ...
Time to cash in!
Did they find Venus' arms?
So.....This is where women come from???
..a dreadful place
Nicely evaporated!

There is a Whataburger in Venus...Texas.
Did they find an ozone hole?
Thanks for the ping. It is good to see a new spacecraft studying Venus. :-)
Man, they play Whataburger commercials on an internet radio station I listen to out of Port Arthur TX (KOLE) -- the announcer's voice is just PERFECT for a burger ad.
Makes me wish they had 'em in CA -- or at least in my part of it.
I love Whataburger...commercials and their #5 special. I appreciate the fact that they take the time to get the order right, and they double-check before they hand you your order.
When I eat inside, their restaurants are always clean, and the restrooms are clean.
Just a top-notch organization, top to bottom.
from April, IOW, an oldie.
Astronomy Picture of the Day
NASA | 5/1/07 | ESA/MPS, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
Posted on 05/01/2007 6:37:55 AM EDT by sig226
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1826398/posts
Double vortex at Venus South Pole unveiled!
European Space Agency | 27 June 2006
Posted on 07/02/2006 3:25:19 AM EDT by A. Pole
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1659205/posts
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.