Science, Vol 253, Issue 5025, 1263-1266
Copyright © 1991 by American Association for the Advancement of Science
The dark side of Venus: near-infrared images and spectra from the Anglo-Australian observatory
D Crisp,
DA Allen,
DH Grinspoon,
and
JB Pollack
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91109, USA.
Near-infrared images and spectra of the night side of Venus taken at the Anglo-Australian Telescope during February 1990 reveal four new thermal emission windows at 1.10, 1.18, 1.27, and 1.31 micrometers, in addition to the previously discovered windows at 1.74 and 2.3 micrometers. Images of the Venus night side show similar bright and dark markings in all windows, but their contrast is much lower at short wavelengths. The 1.27-micrometers window includes a bright, high-altitude O2 airglow feature in addition to a thermal contribution from the deep atmosphere. Simulations of the 1.27- and 2.3 micrometers spectra indicate water vapor mixing ratios near 40 +/- 20 parts per million by volume between the surface and the cloud base. No large horizontal gradients in the water vapor mixing ratios were detected at these altitudes.
