The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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This global view of Venus is a mosaic of several images taken by the Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) on board ESA’s Venus Express on 18 May 2007, at a distance of about 66 000 km from the planet.
The images were obtained at 1.7-micrometre (left) and 3.8-micrometre (right) wavelengths, The wavelength used to obtain the left-hemisphere composite (1.7 micrometres) provides a dramatic global view of the night-side clouds in the lower
atmosphere (approximately 45 km), while the wavelength used to obtain the right-hemisphere composite (3.8 micrometres) provides a view of the day-side cloud top (approximately 60 km).
The double polar vortex at the south pole is visible at the centre of the image.