Laying bare Venus' dark secrets

Journal Article · Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987 · Sky Telesc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5553247

Allen, D A

Ground-based IR observations of the dark side of Venus obtained in 1983 and 1985 with the Anglo-Australian Telescope are studied. An IR spectrum of Venus' dark side is analyzed. It is observed that the Venus atmosphere is composed of CO and radiation escapes only at 1.74 microns and 2.2 to 2.4 microns. The possible origin of the radiation, either due to absorbed sunlight or escaping thermal radiation, was investigated. These two hypotheses were eliminated, and it is proposed that the clouds of Venus are transparent and the radiation originates from the same stratum as the brighter portions but is weakened by the passage through the upper layer. The significance of the observed dark side markings is discussed.

• Research Organization: Anglo-Australian Observatory, Epping, Australia
• OSTI ID: 5553247
• Journal Information: Sky Telesc.; (United States), Vol. 74
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
VENUS PLANET
INFRARED SPECTRA
CARBON DIOXIDE
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
PIONEER SPACE PROBES
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
ATMOSPHERES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANETS
SPACE VEHICLES
SPECTRA
VEHICLES
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena