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What are the clouds of Venus made of?
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Venus
Venus photographed in ultraviolet light by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter (Pioneer 12) spacecraft, February 26, 1979. Although Venus's cloud cover is nearly featureless in visible light, ultraviolet imaging reveals distinctive structure and pattern, including global-scale V-shaped bands that open toward the west (left). Added color in the image emulates Venus's yellow-white appearance to the eye.
The clouds of Venus are primarily composed of microscopic liquid droplets and potentially solid crystals, with sulfuric acid being the dominant material.1
In addition to sulfuric acid, the clouds may contain other substances, including:
- Solid sulfur1
- Nitrosylsulfuric acid1
- Phosphoric acid1
These clouds form a thick, continuous deck that extends from approximately 48 km to 68 km above the planet's surface, with thinner hazes existing both above and below this main layer. While the clouds appear yellowish when viewed from above, the specific material responsible for this coloration has not been definitively identified.1