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Experts Puzzled By Bright Spot On Venus
Hugh Pickens writes "BBC reports that astronomers are puzzled by a strange bright spot which has appeared in the clouds of Venus, first identified by US amateur astronomer Frank Melillo on 19 July and later confirmed by the European Space Agency's Venus Express spacecraft. 'I have seen bright spots before but this one is an exceptionally bright and quite intense area,' says Melillo. The bright spot has started to expand since its first appearance, being spread by winds in Venus' thick atmosphere. Scientists are unsure as to what is causing the spot. 'An eruption would have to be quite energetic to get a cloud this high,' said Dr. Sanjay Limaye of the University of Wisconsin. Furthermore, at a latitude of 50 degrees south, the spot lies outside the region of known volcanoes on Venus. Another potential source for the bright spot are charged particles from the Sun interacting with Venus' atmosphere. It's also possible that atmospheric turbulence may have caused bright material to become concentrated in one area. 'Right now, I think it's anybody's guess,' adds Limaye."
It's not the first bright spot observed on Venus. There was one back in January 2007 where there both hemispheres brightened at the same time.
They're coming...
I am scientifically inaccurate.
I don't know about you guys but I'm expecting the space aliens to show up any minute.
Looks like this is more evidence of global warming.
Random Fact: The proper adjective form to refer to the 2nd solar planet is not Venusian but Venereal. However, the latter term doesn't get quite the desired reception from the general public.
(I learned this from a Tony Randall appearance on the tonight show in the early 1980s. I just wish my brain could retain practical facts the way it retains trivia like this.)
I can see the fnords!
Looks like a test of the Venetian DARPA to me. We can expect our Venetian Overlords to arrive soon!
-- Cheers!
Looks like another possible comet hit to me. Introduce new volatles into the atmosphere and you'll get something similar.
1. Mysterious bright spot on Venus
2. Scar on Jupiter http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/07/25/1457245/Hubble-Photographs-Jupiters-New-Scar?art_pos=2/ [slashdot.org]
3. Unexplained high tides http://www.newsobserver.com/news/health_science/story/1620869.html/ [newsobserver.com]
I don't know about you guys but I'm expecting the space aliens to show up any minute.
Dude, I'm going straight to the Book of Revelations, the end of the world. Space aliens? That's scary, but if you want genuine terror, there's nothing to top God coming back to smite all the evil and villainy, especially if you happen to be an evil villain.
This is my sig.
ESA Venus Express is in orbit around Venus. Perhaps they can shed more light on this.
Hopefully our world isn't the world of Angel Sanctuary.
Quick way to get 30% Funny 70% Troll: defend Opera browser on
The staple of mainstream media science reporting
The dark spot on Jupiter is almost certainly a comet, asteroid or meteor. While I doubt that the higher tides on the US coast have anything to do with it, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the bright spot on Venus wasn't also due to an asteroidal collision. Venus has a very thick atmosphere and a large collision would probably leave a mark in the atmosphere due to kicked up dust etc that would be observable for a while until it dissipated in the atmosphere.
More importantly, the odds of two planets in the system getting hit by objects large enough to make large marks is pretty small, and that makes me worry if there isn't some local debris cloud from the Oort cloud or Kuiper belt that is passing through the system currently. Does anyone know?
We know what this is--and nobody wants to admit it because they like the space tourism. The streaks on Venus are from some ill-mannered time or space travelers who dumped their bilge into the upper atmosphere of Venus. It's just a mess and it's going to leave a pretty permanent stain on Venus. It's going to wreak hell on the Venusian Tourism Industry, for sure. This is the dark side of our government running its alien/time traveler tourism program. No body ever plans for what to do with the trash.
It's the forge casting the giant gun they're going to use to shoot the spaceship at us.
Good thing we've got these handy microbes around. Martians weren't clued enough to wear space suits. Let's hope the Venusians are equally dumb.
I piss off bigots.
... Its Full Of *Stars* ...
Orgasmic Chemistry text, p. 000...charged particles in excited state....
We get a second sun.
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
...all the way to Venus!
http://news.slashdot.org/story/09/07/19/1920203/Noctilucent-Clouds-Spread-and-Mystify
...and I for one welcome our Female Venusian Overlords.
~~ Behold the flying cow with a rail gun! ~~
That's scary, but if you want genuine terror, there's nothing to top God coming back
Nah, I'll just tell Him He just proved He exists and He'll vanish in a puff of logic.
Wait, what do you mean, "coming back"?
Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
Obviously It's the flash from the cannon that sent their projectile to Jupiter, good thing it wasn't earth since they say the projectile made quite a splash on Jupiter.
Check your Jules Verne notes for the historical reference.
For those who tend to miss the forest for the trees, please read "Planet of Love" as "Goddess of Love" in my above post.
> Scientists are unsure as to what is causing the spot:
>
> - An eruption
> - charged particles from the Sun
> - atmospheric turbulence
>
> 'Right now, I think it's anybody's guess,' adds Limaye.
Ignited farts from giant dinosaurs?
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
That's scary, but if you want genuine terror, there's nothing to top God coming back to smite all the evil and villainy, especially if you happen to be an evil villain.
I believe you overlooked SCIENCE. Nothing to stop him coming back eh, you crazy believers... nothing... heh... oh my...
Moved to http://soylentnews.org/. You are invited to join us too!
I believe you overlooked SCIENCE. Nothing to stop him coming back eh, you crazy believers... nothing... heh... oh my..
Ah, science is downright depressing in terms of moral retribution. Because there's no post-death penalty, if you kill more than one person, you always sorta come out with a higher score. In religion, there's a possibility of a wrathful God who will put your nutsack in a blender for 2 billion years for your crimes. By contrast, if you manned up with the love vest and blew yourself up in an abortion clinic, what sort of penalty could possibly be affixed to you?
This is my sig.
Not another damn Starbucks!