NASA launched the Parker Solar Probe in 2018, but the spacecraft delivered just one amazing shot back to Venus from its most recent pilots. According to NASA, Parker saw a previously unseen glow that could be a product of oxygen in the atmosphere of the inhospitable planet. The unexpected brightness of the surface features also makes scientists reconsider how sensitive Parker’s cameras are.
Parker is designed to study the sun, but it also spends a lot of time near Venus. Analyzing the corona of the sun without being roasted, Parker moves at incredible speeds. It is currently the fastest man-made object and moves at almost 300,000 miles per hour (466,000 km / h) relative to the sun. Using its multiple heat shield, Parker can blow through the super-hot corona fast enough to take readings and get out the other side unscathed. It’s now moving faster than with the launch, thanks to regular help from Venus.
It was during one of these close passes in July 2020 that NASA turned the WISPR wide-angle camera to the planet – the image you see above is what they got back. The camera displays a bright glow along the edge of the planet, which may be a night glow. ‘It comes from oxygen atoms that emit some light photos when they come together again in molecules on the dark side of the planet. Astronomers have probably spotted the same on Mars recently.
Even more interesting, the image shows surface features of Venus. As you may know, Venus has a thick, suffocating atmosphere of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid. Most instruments cannot see the surface at all, but Parker’s snapshot shows the dark perimeter of Aphrodite Terra, the largest highland region on the planet.
NASA says this could have two significant implications for future observations. First, Parker’s WISPR camera may be more sensitive to infrared wavelengths of light than the team realized – they are currently conducting laboratory tests to see how deep into the infrared Parker can see. It could possibly offer new methods of studying dust around the sun. It also suggests that there may be a wavelength of infrared light that could serve as a window through Venus’ atmosphere. The team is investigating this as well.
And what about all the stripes in the image? Scientists are still discussing it. The current thinking is that it is the result of charged particles reflecting dust. The number of stripes varies depending on where Parker is in his lane, but it is a very of stripes. We will get answers soon. Parker had just completed another Venus flight on February 20th. The team hopes to process and release the data in April.
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