American researchers have made an important discovery by examining 50 years of data from NASA’s Pioneer Venus mission, which was sent to the planet in the 1970s.
This data, which was stored on microfilm in NASA archives, was analyzed after being digitized.
The research focused on data from two Pioneer probe instruments that observed Venus’ clouds.
It was initially thought that one of the instruments had suffered a technical malfunction in the 1970s because carbon dioxide data had suddenly dropped.
But the new research team found that the drop was due to the instrument’s inlet being clogged with cloud particles, which allowed for random sampling of cloud composition.
The analyses showed that, contrary to previous beliefs, 62 percent of the aerosols in Venus’ clouds are composed of water.
This water does not exist in the form of pure droplets but in hydrated compounds such as hydrated iron sulfate and magnesium.
This finding provides a new understanding of Venus’ atmosphere and is an important step in understanding this mysterious planet.
