Oxygen was found in the daytime atmosphere of Venus for the first time

Astronomers from the German Aerospace Center discovered signs of oxygen on the day side of Venus. True, this is not molecular oxygen that we breathe, but atomic.

The new data was obtained using the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). She studied 17 places on the surface of a distant planet: seven on the day side, nine on the night side and one in between. And I found this element everywhere.

In fact, atomic oxygen has already been detected on Venus, but only on the dark side. It is formed as a result of the interaction between ultraviolet radiation from the Sun and molecules of carbon dioxide, which is very abundant in the planet’s atmosphere. And it differs from the usual one, among other things, in its reactivity and contact with other atoms, which leads to its rapid death.

Although powerful Venusian winds carry oxygen to the night side, its density on the day side still remains five times higher. This redistribution turns out to be the main method of cooling the upper layers of Venus. Without it, the hottest planet in the solar system, whose surface heats up to 464°C, would be even hotter.

It has also been established that the main reserves of oxygen are concentrated approximately 100 kilometers from the surface of the planet. And the lower part of the atmosphere really consists mainly of carbon dioxide.

New data may shed light on the reasons for the emergence of such different worlds on Earth and Venus, which are very similar in many aspects. Some astronomers even call them sisters.