Venus's Polar Vortex (IMAGE)

European Space Agency

Venus's Polar Vortex

Caption

This image, of the "eye of the hurricane" on Venus was taken by the Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer on board Venus Express. This picture shows a region in the venusian atmosphere about 60 km from the surface, at a wavelength of about 5 micrometers. In this figure, the dipole assumes an eye-like shape and from here until the last image, it is possible to see how its shape evolves rapidly in a span of only 24 hours. The yellow dot in the image indicates the location of the south pole.

Credit

ESA/VIRTIS/INAF-IASF/Obs. de Paris-LESIA/Univ. of Oxford

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