Experts Puzzled By Bright Spot On Venus

Hugh Pickens writes "BBC reports that astronomers are puzzled by a strange bright spot which has appeared in the clouds of Venus, first identified by US amateur astronomer Frank Melillo on 19 July and later confirmed by the European Space Agency's Venus Express spacecraft. 'I have seen bright spots before but this one is an exceptionally bright and quite intense area,' says Melillo. The bright spot has started to expand since its first appearance, being spread by winds in Venus' thick atmosphere. Scientists are unsure as to what is causing the spot. 'An eruption would have to be quite energetic to get a cloud this high,' said Dr. Sanjay Limaye of the University of Wisconsin. Furthermore, at a latitude of 50 degrees south, the spot lies outside the region of known volcanoes on Venus. Another potential source for the bright spot are charged particles from the Sun interacting with Venus' atmosphere. It's also possible that atmospheric turbulence may have caused bright material to become concentrated in one area. 'Right now, I think it's anybody's guess,' adds Limaye."

Isn't it obvious?

[millennial]

They're coming...

Cosmic omens...

[TimHunter]

1. Mysterious bright spot on Venus
2. Scar on Jupiter http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/07/25/1457245/Hubble-Photographs-Jupiters-New-Scar?art_pos=2/ [slashdot.org]
3. Unexplained high tides http://www.newsobserver.com/news/health_science/story/1620869.html/ [newsobserver.com]

I don't know about you guys but I'm expecting the space aliens to show up any minute.

Global warming?

[Anonymous Coward]

Looks like this is more evidence of global warming.

Alien DARPA

[tsa]

Looks like a test of the Venetian DARPA to me. We can expect our Venetian Overlords to arrive soon!

Re:Cosmic omens...

[Ihmhi]

The most disturbing thing of all is that if the aliens did show up, the first thing many Slashdotters would do is come back to your comment and change the moderation so it appears as "Insightful".

Re:Cosmic omens...

[cardsinhand]

Super Saiyans are just battling again. No big deal.

Re:Alien DARPA

[Thing 1]

I for one welcome our blind overlords.

Re:Cosmic omens...

[physburn]

Its not an omen, it just that Venus has developed Jupiter envy.

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Astronomy Feed [feeddistiller.com] @ Feed Distiiler [feeddistiller.com]

It's igniting

[koan]

We get a second sun.

Re:It's igniting

[bar-agent]

We get a second sun.

Yay!

Oh, wait. That's bad, isn't it?

Re:There is spacecraft in orbit around Venus.

[K. S. Kyosuke]

Shed more light on an already bright spot? Wouldn't that burn out the cams?

Re:Isn't it obvious?

[Anonymous Coward]

All over Venus? Man, that must be one hell of an ejaculation.