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Mysterious Dark Patches in Venus’ Clouds are Affecting the Weather There

By Erica Naone
Aug 29, 2019 9:30 AMNov 19, 2019 3:25 AM
VenusClouds
This composite image of the cloud-covered planet Venus uses data from the Japanese probe Akatsuki. (Credit: Institute of Space and Astronautical Science/Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)

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Something mysterious swirls amidst the clouds of Venus.

The planet’s hot, harsh atmosphere is thick with carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid. Atmospheric gases circulate amid cloud layers according to patterns that scientists don’t fully understand. And Venusian clouds also contain strange, dark patches, called “unknown absorbers” because they absorb large amounts of solar radiation.

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