A NASA solar spacecraft was launched in 2018, tasked with taking pictures of the outermost layer of the Sun and Venus.
On her way there, she also noticed the neighboring planet Venus, where she was able to take rare pictures of the planet’s surface, according to what was published by the British newspaper, “Daily Star”.
The rocky planet is covered in thick clouds that protect its surface from easy observation, making efforts to glimpse what is happening on the planet beyond easy.
Fortunately, that’s where the Parker spacecraft comes in, with its two latest aircraft able to peek under the cover of the mysterious rock, which is also the second brightest natural object in our night sky following the moon.
Using the wide field imager, known as WISPR, the probe was able to collect images of Venus nights at wavelengths visible to the human eye.
The images also captured a halo of oxygen circling the planet described as a “luminous halo.” “We are pleased with the scientific insights the Parker Solar Probe has provided so far,” said Nicola Fox, director of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters.
Parker’s craft continues to exceed our expectations, and we’re excited that these new observations captured during a gravity-assisted maneuver might help advance Venus’ research in unexpected ways.
It is hoped that the images will help scientists learn regarding the geology of the planet, which is often described as Earth’s twin because it is regarding the size of the blue planet and is believed to be made of similar materials beneath its surface.
It is hoped that the images will lead to a better understanding of the minerals on the planet, which are wrapped in a deadly film of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide.