Science and Space

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Venus Express

Europe’s Venus Express will blast off aboard a Russian rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 26 October. After about five months, Venus Express will reach its target and enter an elliptical polar orbit using science instruments to study the planet from space. The mission lasts two Venusian days, equivalent to about 500 of our own.

In the most comprehensive study of the Venusian atmosphere ever, Venus Express will address many open questions:

• How do the complex global dynamics of the planet work?
• What causes the super-fast atmospheric rotation and the hurricane-force winds?
• What maintains the double atmospheric vortex at the poles?
• How does the cloud system work?
• How do clouds and haze form and evolve at different altitudes?
• What is at the origin of mysterious ultraviolet marks at the clouds tops?
• What processes govern the chemical state of the atmosphere?
• What role does the ‘green-house effect’ play in the global evolution of the Venusian climate?
• What governs the escape processes of the atmosphere?
• Are there water, carbon dioxide or sulphuric acid cycles on Venus?
• What caused the global volcanic resurfacing of Venus 500 million years ago?
• Why are some areas on the surface so reflective to radar?
• Is there present volcanic or seismic activity on the planet?

posted by: kyawoo at 19:48 | link | comments |
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