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Venus Express image of Venus surface temperatures

Venus Express image of Venus surface temperatures
Venus Express image of Venus surface temperatures This map of the surface of Venus is a composite of about 1,000 individual Venus Monitoring Camera (VMC) images taken from April to August 2007. The images were taken at an infrared wavelength of 1 micron, at which Venus' atmosphere is somewhat transparent. The colors correspond to the apparent temperature of the surface; blue colors are areas about 40 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) cooler than red-orange colors. On Venus, as on Earth, cooler temperatures generally prevail at higher elevations; the blue areas correlate with areas of high, mountainous topography, while orange areas correlate to Venus' broad volcanic lowlands. However, some of the variation in apparent temperature could arise from variations in mineralogy across the surface. Venus Express scientists are studying images like these to look for regions that are anomalously warm given their altitude, in the hopes of finding active volcanic centers. It is unknown whether Venus has currently active volcanoes or not. ESA / VMC / MPS / IPF-DLR