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Venus's South Polar Vortex


Date: 12 July 2006
Satellite: Venus Express
Depicts: Venus's south polar vortex at several infrared wavelengths
Copyright: ESA/VIRTIS/INAF-IASF/Obs. de Paris-LESIA

This movie, composed of infrared images taken by the Ultraviolet/Visible/Near-Infrared spectrometer (VIRTIS), provides a close-up view of the double-eyed vortex at Venus's south pole. The images, at wavelengths from 4.5 to 5.1 μm, were taken on 29 May 2006 at a distance of about 64 000 kilometres from the planet.

Thanks to the use of different wavelengths, VIRTIS probed the atmosphere at different depths, ranging from 70 kilometres to about 60 kilometres altitude. It is interesting to see how the images' contrast and details increase with decreasing cloud altitude.

Last Update: 1 September 2019
14-Feb-2026 20:41 UT

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