Venus Express Arrives at Venus
影像提供: ESA/MPS, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
Explanation:
Humanity now has a spacecraft orbiting Venus. The robotic Venus Express spacecraft launched by the European Space Agency in 2005 November arrived at Venus in 2006 April. Venus Express is now orbiting Earth's sister planet and returning pictures. Pictured above is a false-color, time-lapse movie in ultraviolet light captured by the Venus Express spacecraft as it flew over Venus' northern hemisphere in late May. Venus Express is scheduled to orbit Venus for three years and collect data that might help in answering questions that include why Venus continually generates hurricane-force winds, why Venus became so hot in the past, and if there is any current volcanic activity on Venus. It is hoped that a better understanding of Venus's hot and inhospitable climate will help humanity better understand Earth's climate as well.
說明:
人類有一艘太空船正在繞行金星。無人的金星特快車號 (Venus Express)是歐洲太空署 2005年 11月所發射的太空船，在2006年4月航抵金星。金星特快車號現在正在繞行這顆地球的姐妹行星，並回傳所拍攝的影像。上面這幅紫外光波段的假色時序電影，是五月底金星特快車號太空船飛越金星的北半球時所拍攝的。金星特快車號預計將以三年的期間探索金星，收集數據以解答金星為何能不停地產生颱風級的行星風、為何金星為何會變得如此熱、以及金星現在是否尚有火山活動。希望經由了解金星熾熱嚴苛的氣候，也能幫助人類更了解地球的氣候。
資料來源: Scientific American
Department of Physics, NCKU
