Royal Belgian Institute for Space AeronomyPhysics and chemistry of the atmosphere of the Earth and other planets, and of outer space.
Planetary aeronomy
The outer atmosphere is visibly segregated into several bands at different latitudes, resulting in turbulence and storms along their interacting boundaries.
Radar research showed a young flat surface with mountains, plains, high plateaus, volcanoes, crest and impact craters.
Venus missions show us thousands of volcanoes, well preserved by the atmosphere of Venus.
Venus was a prime target for space missions and probes in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s.
Sulphuric acid rain showers on Venus never reach the surface of the planet due to evaporation.
From reporting a halo and dark spots to CO2 and other constituents discovered with instrumental techniques.
Seasonal changes on planet Venus are very small due to small axial inclination.
Venus displays phases like those of the Moon. Galileo observed the phases of Venus and endangered Ptolemy’s system centred on the Earth.
The science payload of ExoMars TGO consists of four instruments measuring atmospheric gases on Mars.
For planet Earth this is the rotational period relative to so called fixed stars and not to the Sun.
Venus clouds (containing sulphuric acid) have been observed in the Ultraviolet UV and Infrared IR.
The interval of time separating two passages of the Sun over the meridian, due to Earth’s rotation.
Satellite for the study of the chemical composition of the atmosphere in interaction with the surface of Mars.
The ExoMars mission is in a Mars orbit since 2016. Scientific goals include questions about methane and trace gases in the atmosphere.
What type of water is found and what is the amount of water present in the atmosphere of Mars?
Questions about the internal and external core of planet Venus remain open: temperature, liquid, solid state analyses.
Atmospheres of planets glow constantly during both day and night as sunlight interacts with atoms and molecules.
A combination of instruments to study the atmosphere, plasma environment and surface of Venus in great detail.
First European mission to Earth's nearest planetary neighbour, Venus. Scientific objectives.
The Venusian cloud layer makes one complete tour of the planet in 4.2 days, with wind speeds of 540km/h.
The rotational period of Venus on its own axis is very slow. With a retrograde rotation, the planet orbits the Sun in 224.7 days.
Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar system. It is a giant planet, whose mass is 318 times that of Earth.
Venus' atmospheric composition in percentages show 96,5% of carbon dioxide and less than 3,5% of N2.
Venus’ atmosphere has a thick cloud layer that covers the planet, extending from 30 to 90km.
The planet Venus used to have lots of water, that has been completely evaporated. CO2 remains in the atmosphere of Venus.
The very high surface temperature of 474 °C hardly varies from the sunlit side to the night side.
The two planets are very similar, but a detailed comparison shows the differences.
Due to a weak greenhouse effect the average temperature is about -63°C with huge differences between day and night. No surprise that one can see ice caps on both poles.
Extra terrestrial atmospheres can provide us with precious information about our own atmosphere, its history, its future.
The absence of plate tectonics and the very little volcanic activity are important to understand why Mars has a far smaller greenhouse effect than Earth.
The atmosphere of Mars does not have a protective ozone layer and contains 30 times less water vapour than Earth's atmosphere.
A multidisciplinary science based on observations of the atmospherical environment (terrestrial and extraterrestrial).
Since methane on Earth is linked to microorganisms, methane measurements on Mars might lead to traces of past life.
Short fact note on the temperature, diameter, pressure, mountains, gravitation, natural satellites and the elements that give Mars' atmosphere its red colour.
