Snow on Venus? Upper Atmospheric Layer on Normally-Scorching Planet Might Be Cold Enough
Venus Terminator The terminator is the dividing line between day and night on the planet. ESAVenus Express orbiter finds a cool spot. Venus is known for its scorching, Earth-lander-melting, inhospitable surface - but don't judge a planet by its cover. Venus has a cold streak high in the atmosphere, where it might even be cool enough for snow to form. The cold layer is colder than any part of Earth's atmosphere, despite Venus' reputation for hotness and its nearness to the sun. Around 125 kilometers (77 miles) above the surface, the atmosphere plunges to -175º C (-283º F). Scientists used the European Venus Express orbiter to figure this out, and they did it by staring at the terminator, the dividing line between day and night on the planet. Sunlight filtering through the atmosphere revealed concentrations of carbon dioxide molecules. Then scientists combined this data with information about atmospheric pressure at various altitudes,...