Venus Weather Forecast: Winds Run Backwards at Night on Earth's Evil Twin

Weather projections based on space-based infrared photography claim that winds on "Earth's Evil Twin" sister, planet Venus, run backward at night.

This is the first time weather patterns on Venus have been 'clearly spotted' at night due to the difficulty of observing the hellish planet's night side from Earth.

Earth and Venus have a lot in common because they are both in the habitable zone, which means they can support liquid water and maybe life.

(Photo: JAXA/Imamura et al)
The three main weather patterns on Venus. Researchers think the dayside poleward circulation and newly discovered nightside equatorial circulation may fuel the planetwide super-rotation that dominates the surface of Venus.

They are the same size and mass, but they also have a solid surface and a thin atmosphere with distinct weather patterns, and Venus once had liquid water.

Observing weather patterns at night on a planet can be challenging because there is no direct sunlight. Still, the Japanese team used infrared measurements from an orbiter, then worked to reduce noise and stack different photos to achieve a clear picture.

Weather on Venus at Night: How Akatsuki was Used

Space.com said the weather on Venus at night has long been difficult knowledge for scientists because only the planet's "daylight side" is clearly observable.

Infrared images of Venus's other side have been made. Still, they have not provided scientists with a clear picture of the planet's nighttime weather.

This time, scientists used Akatsuki's infrared imager to collect Venus' weather data at night. The data was then studied using a different analytical method.

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Background noise makes it difficult for researchers to identify small-scale cloud patterns, according to Professor Takeshi Imamura of the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Frontier Sciences. The noise had to be suppressed by the scientists.

"However, Venus is a special case as the entire weather system rotates very quickly, so we had to compensate for this movement, known as super-rotation, [to] highlight interesting formations for study," Professor Imamura said in a statement.

How is the Weather on Venus at Night Like?

Scientists were able to discern "nighttime clouds and some unusual wind circulation patterns" on Venus.

In particular, Venu's nighttime north-south winds have piqued scientists' interest because they are the polar opposite of the daytime wind patterns.

"Such a dramatic change cannot occur without significant consequences," Professor Imamura said in a Science Daily report. He says that he expects the new data would aid scientists in developing more accurate simulations of the planet's weather system.

Akatsuki: Japan's First Probe to Orbit Another Planet

The Akatsuki is the first Japanese spacecraft to circle another planet to study Venus's weather.

Despite being launched into space in 2010, NASA said Akatsuki did not succeed in entering Venus' orbit until 2015 when it tried again. Since then, the climate satellite has been able to return photographs of Venus and its weather to Earth-based scientists.

The Akatsuki was able to catch Venus' rapid winds and atmospheric variations, which could alter the duration of the planet's day. It is also been able to photograph the planet's toxic clouds.