NASA Parker Solar Probe has obtained never-before-seen photographs of Earth's evil twin, revealing the surface features of Venus in spectacular detail.
The photos of Venus in visible light, which is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that the human eye can view, seem brilliant against the cosmic background.
The probe obtained the photographs of Venus' "night side," or the side facing away from the sun. Researchers published the study, "Parker Solar Probe Imaging of the Night Side of Venus," in the journal Geophysical Research Letters on Wednesday.
"The surface of Venus, even on the nightside, is about 860 degrees," Brian Wood, an astrophysicist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and the study's lead author, said in a statement. "It's so hot that the rocky surface of Venus is visibly glowing, like a piece of iron pulled from a forge."
As Parker Solar Probe flew by Venus on its fourth flyby, its WISPR instrument captured the photo showing the nightside surface of the planet.
NASA Parker Solar Probe Captures Image of Venus Like a Piece of Iron Pulled from a Forge
The Parker Solar Probe obtained a rare photograph of Venus's surface during a recent visit. Venus has a thick atmosphere filled with sulfuric acid clouds, which usually hide the planet's surface.
According to Slash Gear, Parker could see the planet in both visible and near-infrared wavelengths using one of the spacecraft's sensors, the Wide-Field Imager (WISPR).
The equipment captured images of Venus' nightside, or the side facing away from the sun, revealing characteristics on the planet's surface such as plains and plateaus and the glow of oxygen in its atmosphere.
Venus is the third brightest object in the sky. But Wood acknowledged that experts didn't know much about its surface until recently since a thick atmosphere hindered Parker's view.
Daily Mail said the photos revealed characteristics on Venus's surface, including the Aphrodite Terra continental area, the Tellus Regio plateau, and the Aino Planitia plains.
Because higher altitude places are typically 47 degrees Celsius (85 degrees Fahrenheit) colder than lower areas, they appear as dark patches among the lighter lowlands.
NASA’s Magellan mission created the first maps in the 1990s using radar and JAXA’s Akatsuki spacecraft gathered infrared images after reaching orbit around Venus in 2016.
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The photographs, which were integrated into a film, were so impressive that scientists decided to switch the cameras again for the fourth flyby in February 2021.
The spacecraft's orbit aligned precisely for WISPR to scan Venus' nightside in its entirety during the 2021 flyby.
A brilliant ring around the edge of the planet, generated by oxygen atoms radiating light in the atmosphere, is seen in the new photographs, in addition to the surface glow.
This form of light, known as airglow, is also prevalent in Earth's atmosphere, where it may be seen from space and sometimes from the ground at night.
More NASA Missions for Earth's Evil Twin
In addition to exposing aspects of Venus' terrain and geological composition, the images may aid scientists in learning more about Earth's "evil twin," including why Venus became so inhospitable while being comparable in size and density to Earth.
Some of the planned trips to Venus may be shaped by learning more about how the planet came to be. NASA's DAVINCI+ mission, set to launch in 2029, will descend through the atmosphere before landing on the surface, examining its chemical and temperature.
NBC News said NASA plans to put a spacecraft dubbed VERITAS into orbit around Venus in 2027 to examine the planet's heated temperatures ahead of the DaVinci mission.
Venus is also on the European Space Agency's radar, with the EnVision mission intended to study trace gases in the planet's atmosphere. In the early 2030s, the EnVision mission is anticipated to launch.
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