Japan's probe "Akatsuki" will attempt to enter the orbit of Venus on Dec. 7, and if successful it will become the first Japanese probe to orbit another planet if it proves capable of reversing the thrust of its engines for about 12 minutes, reducing its speed before attempting to enter an elliptical orbit around Venus. The spacecraft launched from Japan in May 2010.
Akatsuki is equipped with six types of measurement devices, which will allow it to see through the thick sulfuric acid clouds of Venus. The probe will be used to examine Venus's volcanic activity, as well as to take measurements of lightning [22min vid] and other phenomena. Measurements never before attempted are also planned, such as matching the speed of fierce 100-meter-per-second easterly winds in Venus's atmosphere -- a phenomenon known as "superrotation" because the winds move faster than the planet's rotation -- and observing the movement of clouds in order to better understand the phenomenon, reports The Mainichi Daily News and The Japan Times.
Akatsuki is equipped with six types of measurement devices, which will allow it to see through the thick sulfuric acid clouds of Venus. The probe will be used to examine Venus's volcanic activity, as well as to take measurements of lightning [22min vid] and other phenomena. Measurements never before attempted are also planned, such as matching the speed of fierce 100-meter-per-second easterly winds in Venus's atmosphere -- a phenomenon known as "superrotation" because the winds move faster than the planet's rotation -- and observing the movement of clouds in order to better understand the phenomenon, reports The Mainichi Daily News and The Japan Times.
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