Close look confirms two eyes on Venus
By Ron Cowen
A spacecraft that recently arrived at Venus has confirmed the presence of an unusual storm feature—two giant, hurricanelike eyes within a storm at the planet’s south pole.
The European Space Agency’s Venus Express first observed the vortex soon after the craft entered orbit around Venus on April 11. Express’ initial, distant path provided a global view of the planet, including a glance at the double vortex. In late May, the craft flew over the south pole and took a closer look at the storm.