First visible-light images of Venus surface

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2022-02-13 16:18:32

Scientists present images of Venus from the Wide-Field Imager for Parker Solar Probe (WISPR) telescope. Credit: NASA, APL, NRL

Scientists present images of Venus from the Wide-Field Imager for Parker Solar Probe (WISPR) telescope. Credit: NASA, APL, NRL

Scientists present images of Venus from the Wide-Field Imager for Parker Solar Probe (WISPR) telescope on board the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) spacecraft, obtained during PSP's third and fourth flybys of Venus on 2020 July 11 and 2021 February 20, respectively.

Thermal emission from the surface is observed on the night side, representing the shortest wavelength observations of this emission ever, the first detection of the Venusian surface by an optical telescope observing below 0.8 μm. Consistent with previous observations at 1 μm, the cooler highland areas are fainter than the surrounding lowlands.

Source: B.E. Wood et alParker Solar Probe imaging of the night side of Venus