APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

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APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by APOD Robot » Tue Sep 28, 2010 4:00 am

Image Venus South Polar Vortex

Explanation: What's happening over the South Pole of Venus? To find out, scientists have been studying images taken by the robotic Venus Express spacecraft when it passes over the lower spin axis of Earth's overheated twin. Surprisingly, recent images from Venus Express do not confirm previous sightings of a double storm system there, but rather found a single unusual swirling cloud vortex. In the above recently released image sequence taken in infrared light and digitally compressed, darker areas correspond to higher temperatures and hence lower regions of Venus' atmosphere. Also illuminating are recently released movies, which show similarities between Venus' southern vortex and the vortex that swirls over the South Pole of Saturn. Understanding the peculiar dynamics of why, at times, two eddies appear, while at other times a single peculiar eddy appears, may give insight into how hurricanes evolve on Earth, and remain a topic of research for some time. In three months, the European Venus Express spacecraft will be joined around Venus by the Japanese Akatsuki satellite.

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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by mexhunter » Tue Sep 28, 2010 4:26 am

If you show it to a gastroenterologist, sure which coincides a clear diagnosis of reflux.
Outside jokes, hopefully both ships to help determine the origin and evolution of these storms in the planet's pole.
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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by Valensiakol » Tue Sep 28, 2010 5:29 am

I see I am not the only one who thought of colonoscopies...

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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by hstarbuck » Tue Sep 28, 2010 5:45 am

I was thinking of other analogies in nature.

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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by bystander » Tue Sep 28, 2010 5:53 am


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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by emc » Tue Sep 28, 2010 11:39 am

As today’s caption indicates… it seems logical that meteorologists learn or will learn applicable dynamics from extraterrestrial science such that it improves weather forecasting on Earth. Predicting weather is challenging business… I like the 50% chance of rain forecast because it’s accurate whether it rains or not.
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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by neufer » Tue Sep 28, 2010 12:03 pm

emc wrote:As today’s caption indicates… it seems logical that meteorologists learn or will learn applicable dynamics from extraterrestrial science such that it improves weather forecasting on Earth. Predicting weather is challenging business… I like the 50% chance of rain forecast because it’s accurate whether it rains or not.
Meteorologists learn or will learn extremely little applicable dynamics from extraterrestrial science that will improve weather forecasting here on Earth. Many meteorologists are fascinated by such things, however, and
they are quite content being used to promote such projects so long as they don't have to pay for such things themselves.
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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by orin stepanek » Tue Sep 28, 2010 12:57 pm

I believe that the vortex on Venus stays at the South Pole; and is continuous; while on Earth a hurricane moves a long until it eventually blows itself out. :?
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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by emc » Tue Sep 28, 2010 1:29 pm

I think weather forecasting is like battling an unanticipated alligator from a row boat… you need a meaty oar and some study experience to know where to whack the alligator and you need a meteorologist to identify the weather.
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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by neufer » Tue Sep 28, 2010 1:53 pm

emc wrote:
I think weather forecasting is like battling an unanticipated alligator from a row boat… you need a meaty oar and some study experience to know where to whack the alligator and you need a meteorologist to identify the weather.
A meaty oar alligator wrist/risk? :roll:
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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by biddie67 » Tue Sep 28, 2010 1:57 pm

(( grin )) youse guys mo' better than the Comedy channel ....

Is there any indication that the forces in the vortex are pulling upward like a tornado -or- downward like in water draining out of a tub? Also, would knowing whether there was clockwise or counterclockwise rotation indicate anything about why it would appear to be so strong?

(Unfortunately, I can't get to all the links because I'm on a very slow dialup connection - I apologize if the info is in the links somewhere.)

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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by neufer » Tue Sep 28, 2010 2:03 pm

orin stepanek wrote:
I believe that the vortex on Venus stays at the South Pole; and is continuous;
while on Earth a hurricane moves a long until it eventually blows itself out. :?
In any event,

on Earth a hurricane is predominantly a relatively small low pressure surface feature;

vortices observed on Venus & Jupiter are predominantly upper atmospheric phenomena.
Art Neuendorffer

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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by neufer » Tue Sep 28, 2010 2:29 pm

biddie67 wrote:Is there any indication that the forces in the vortex are pulling upward like a tornado -or- downward like in water draining out of a tub? Also, would knowing whether there was clockwise or counterclockwise rotation indicate anything about why it would appear to be so strong?
The Great Red Spot is an anti-cyclonic (warm/high pressure) system
[rotating counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere].

It appears that the "Venereal" south polar vortex is a cyclonic (cold/low pressure) system
[rotating counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere of a backwards spinning Venus]
similar to the cold cyclonic stratospheric polar vortex surrounding the Antarctic Ozone Hole.

Vertical movement is limited in all cases.
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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by Chris Peterson » Tue Sep 28, 2010 2:36 pm

mexhunter wrote:If you show it to a gastroenterologist, sure which coincides a clear diagnosis of reflux.
Valensiakol wrote:I see I am not the only one who thought of colonoscopies...
The suggestion that a colonoscopy might be used to diagnose reflux is positively cringe-worthy!
Chris

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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by biddie67 » Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:06 pm

(( good belly-laugh there ))

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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by emc » Tue Sep 28, 2010 5:33 pm

I’d rather have an esophageal pH colonoscopy than a colonoscopy esophageal pH

and

I’d rather have an Art asterisk/adventurist than an Art wrist/risk
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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by biddie67 » Tue Sep 28, 2010 7:27 pm

I just followed the link off today's APOD to the new FB setup. While I'm not a particular fan of FB, the setup looks really good - someone put in a lot of work - congratulations on the companion venue!

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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by orin stepanek » Tue Sep 28, 2010 8:45 pm

APOD Robot wrote: at times, two eddies appear, while at other times a single peculiar eddy appears, may give insight into how hurricanes evolve on Earth, and remain a topic of research for some time.
neufer wrote:
orin stepanek wrote:
I believe that the vortex on Venus stays at the South Pole; and is continuous;
while on Earth a hurricane moves a long until it eventually blows itself out. :?
In any event,

on Earth a hurricane is predominantly a relatively small low pressure surface feature;

vortices observed on Venus & Jupiter are predominantly upper atmospheric phenomena.
I agree! :)
Orin

Smile today; tomorrow's another day!

bko

Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by bko » Wed Sep 29, 2010 2:24 am

can anyone say georgia okeefe...

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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by Ann » Wed Sep 29, 2010 2:37 am

George (O'Keefe) On My MInd, by Michelle Christide. There's a bit of a Venerian swirl here, but much better colors!

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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by neufer » Wed Sep 29, 2010 2:54 am

bko wrote:
can anyone say georgia okeefe...
Image
That's TWO f's, bko:
O'keeffe!


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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by Beyond » Wed Sep 29, 2010 3:07 am

Hey, emc, how come you're the only member without a PM button?? The computer doesn't like you?
To find the Truth, you must go Beyond.

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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by Ann » Wed Sep 29, 2010 4:56 am

Art NeuendO'rFFEr
Art O'rFF? Art-ina Burana?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4yYHwMV ... re=related[/youtube]

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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by neufer » Wed Sep 29, 2010 10:45 am

Ann wrote:
Art NeuendO'rFFEr
Art O'rFF? Art-ina Burana?
Arthur "Boris" CARL NeuendORFFer
Art Neuendorffer

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Re: APOD: Venus South Polar Vortex (2010 Sep 28)

Post by emc » Wed Sep 29, 2010 1:28 pm

beyond wrote:Hey, emc, how come you're the only member without a PM button?? The computer doesn't like you?
Reckon I am the only member that selected the "no" radio button... I selected the "yes" one now... Sometimes I think my computer likes me... it's a little disturbing.
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