Serendipitous satellite snapshots show Venus's weather evolving over nearly a decade

by National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Have you ever found something unexpected in the background of a photo? Scientists looking at images of Earth taken by weather satellites discovered that Venus shows up in the background of some of these images. By collecting and analyzing these serendipitous observations of Venus, researchers have been able to track temperature variations in Venus's atmosphere over nearly 10 years.

The Observations

Venus has a thick carbon dioxide atmosphere with clouds of sulfuric acid. Like Earth's atmosphere, the Venusian atmosphere exhibits changes in weather patterns, but tracking these changes has been challenging. Telescopes observing Venus from Earth's surface are hindered by both Earth's own atmosphere and Venus's proximity to the sun. Previous space-based observations have also been limited, either in their duration or the wavelengths (colors) of data they could collect.

Against this backdrop, Gaku Nishiyama, associated with the German Aerospace Center, University of Tokyo, and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, led an international team to look for Venus in the background of photos taken by the Earth weather monitoring satellites Himawari-8 and Himawari-9. These satellites, whose name means "sunflower" in Japanese, are operated by the Japan Meteorological Agency to capture images of Earth at 10-minute intervals.

The findings were published in Earth, Planets and Space.

Analyzing the Data

Researchers identified 437 cases where Venus appeared as a dot in the background. This small dot was significant enough to yield usable data. The team successfully observed long-term changes in the Venusian weather, particularly in the thermal structure of the atmosphere. The most substantial changes were noted in the temperatures around sunrise on Venus, thought to be associated with atmospheric waves circulating around the planet.

This innovative use of data provides new insights into Venusian weather patterns and opens a new field of study regarding the use of weather satellites for planetary observations. There are many more weather satellites monitoring other planets that could similarly yield valuable data.

Future Implications

The implications of these findings extend beyond Venus. The ability to monitor the atmospheres of other planets from Earth-based satellites could lead to more comprehensive understanding of their weather systems and atmospheric dynamics. This work exemplifies the potential for repurposing existing technologies to glean new scientific insights.

Conclusion

In essence, Gaku Nishiyama and his team's study illustrates how serendipitous discoveries can lead to significant scientific advancements. By utilizing data originally not intended for planetary investigation, the astronomy community gains more robust datasets to better understand celestial bodies.

More information: Gaku Nishiyama et al. "Temporal variation in the cloud-top temperature of Venus revealed by meteorological satellites", in Earth, Planets and Space, DOI: 10.1186/s40623-025-02223-8

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