Date:11/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/11/stories/2006111101380200.htm

New Delhi

Get on board the Venus Express

Devesh K. Pandey

New Delhi: The Universe has always been a subject of constant exploration by the scientific community, but it has also been an all-time favourite topic for the common people, generating curiosity about the way the planets and other space objects came into being.

According to Nehru Planetarium Director N. Rathnasree, going further in pursuit of understanding our solar system several planetary missions have been undertaken.

While some of them are on their way to their destinations, they have been sending across surprising new details about the solar system.

There is a Messenger Spacecraft that just passed by Venus on its way to Mercury and received "the necessary gravitational nudging and slowing down" on its way towards its destination.

Besides there is the Venus Express orbiting it and sending probes towards the thickly veiled member of our planetary system, sending surprising results.

Evidence has been found from the Venus Express observations of peculiar unidirectional super rotations in the atmosphere of the planet.

There have been several other astonishing results coming through the probes of the Venus Express.

More information on the new solar system explorations would be provided to astronomy-watchers in a lecture by a planetary scientist with the Venus Express Mission and Professor at the University of Wisconsin in the United States, Sanjay Limaye.

The lecture will be held at the Nehru Planetarium at 2-15 p.m. today.