Astro-image of the day: newest Venus image

[mckitterick]

Here's an amazing shot courtesy of the ESA and radar images from NASA's Magellan spacecraft:

Click the image to see the story.

Had to share this gorgeous image. Perhaps even more amazing and beautiful is this image of the solar wind flowing around Venus:

Click the image to see the story. To see animated movie of the violence, go here.

What you're seeing is the upper atmosphere of Venus being ionized and ripped away by the plasma storms pouring out of the Sun, strewn into space "behind" the planet in a long tail not unlike a comet's tail. The Earth is safe from such devastation because we have a huge magnetic field protecting us.

Chris

Comments

[everflame.livejournal.com]

That second picture looks kinda like sperm. I think you should mark this explicit adult content.

But it sure is pretty ejaculant.

LOL!

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

 

[chernobylred.livejournal.com]

I love you so much.

[affreca.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Venus is still my favorite other planet. So Earthlike, yet so different.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Speaking of different, if you follow the image link to the ESA site and go to the gallery, you'll find some pretty astouding images of lightning on Venus. Here's the page.

[eleanor.livejournal.com]

I love the second photo, and your icon is cool, too!

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Isn't it amazing? If you want to see the video from which that image is a still, go here.

[anerys.livejournal.com]

Horray for magnetism!

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Physics saves the world: Just another day for our superhero friend, Magnetism.

[silk-noir.livejournal.com]

Wonderful perfect icon.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

*smiles*