Venus as Viewed Through Violet and Near Infrared Filters

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These two Galileo images of Venus show the global structure of cloud patterns at two different depths in the upper cloud layers. The large bluish image, taken through the violet filter, shows patterns at the very top of Venus' main sulfuric acid haze layer. The subsolar point is to the right, not far from the limb; the atmospheric flow runs to the left from there. The small red image, taken through a near infrared filter, shows the cloud patterns several miles below the visible cloud tops. Posted on: 18 Mar, 2003