http://sci.esa.int/venus-express/57735-venus-express-swansong-experiment-sheds-light-on-venus-polar-atmosphere/

19 April 2016

Some of the final results sent back by ESA's Venus Express before it plummeted down through the planet's atmosphere have revealed it to be rippling with atmospheric waves – and, at an average temperature of -157°C, colder than anywhere on Earth.

Venus Express is Europe's first mission to Venus. It was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on 9 November 2005 on a Soyuz-Fregat launcher, and was inserted into Venus orbit on 11 April 2006. The payload includes a combination of spectrometers, spectro-imagers, and imagers covering a wavelength range from ultraviolet to thermal infrared, a plasma analyser and a magnetometer. Between May and July 2014, an aerobraking campaign was performed with Venus Express – the first performed by an ESA spacecraft – resulting in unique observations of the planet's rarefied outer atmosphere and a change in the spacecraft's orbital period from 24 hours to 22 hours 20 minutes.

so cool. we are actually finding out what's going on out there. this is such a great time to be alive

[Edited 4/19/16 17:09pm]

I truly favor Venus over Mars as far as planets I'm really curious about. I mean it's more Earth's twin, in size as well as location. But some things aren't possible yet, but it's nice to see that somebody's budgeted for such things. There's even talk of having some sort of hovering lab in Venus' atmosphere since nothing we land on the surface survives for long. Way past my lifetime though for such a reality.

morningsong said:

I truly favor Venus over Mars as far as planets I'm really curious about. I mean it's more Earth's twin, in size as well as location. But some things aren't possible yet, but it's nice to see that somebody's budgeted for such things. There's even talk of having some sort of hovering lab in Venus' atmosphere since nothing we land on the surface survives for long. Way past my lifetime though for such a reality.

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it shouldn't be! if the people of the world could just stop fighting and work together instead of devoting our money and efforts to military endeavors and killing each other off, we could do anything. so sad. but anyway, yeah i'm surprised venus is so cold. i thought it was a lot warmer. then again, i was also surprised when i found out earth's atmosphere was once methane. so there you go

morningsong said:

I truly favor Venus over Mars as far as planets I'm really curious about. I mean it's more Earth's twin, in size as well as location. But some things aren't possible yet, but it's nice to see that somebody's budgeted for such things. There's even talk of having some sort of hovering lab in Venus' atmosphere since nothing we land on the surface survives for long. Way past my lifetime though for such a reality.

Venus is literally hell. Even though it's farther from the Sun than Mercury, Venus is the hottest planet because of its runaway greenhouse effect - 864 degrees F. Plus it has sulfuric acid in the clouds.

[Edited 4/20/16 15:40pm]

XxAxX said:

morningsong said:

XxAxX said:

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it shouldn't be! if the people of the world could just stop fighting and work together instead of devoting our money and efforts to military endeavors and killing each other off, we could do anything. so sad. but anyway, yeah i'm surprised venus is so cold. i thought it was a lot warmer. then again, i was also surprised when i found out earth's atmosphere was once methane. so there you go

Its surface is extremely hot. But it's atmosphere ranges to something more favorable for our probes (and possibly human habitats). The record for a probe on the surface is all of 2 hours. Venus is a ..... and not going to give up nothing, but I love her. I think its what taught us about the greenhouse effect

i know its hot, which is why its surprising to me its polar vortex atmosphere is colder than anything on earth. i think those extremes would be too much for me so you can have venus, i'll take mars