Odd Dark Patches of Venus

Despite being Earth’s closest planetary neighbor, Venus is still literally shrouded in mystery. Although multiple spacecraft have orbited and landed on this hellish world, the extreme conditions make such visits, the surface ones at least, very brief. But one of Venus’ most interesting anomalies is higher up: odd dark patches in the upper atmosphere that still haven’t been explained.

• Now, a new study shows that these patches – called “unknown absorbers” – appear to be linked to Venus’ climate and albedo. The peer-reviewed study was published in The Astronomical Journal on August 26, 2019.
• The patches are composed of tiny particles that soak up most of the ultraviolet and some of the visible light from the sun, affecting the planet’s albedo and energy budget.