NASA’s Parker Solar Probe captured a stunning photo of Venus during its flyby en route to the Sun—but there’s something in it that has scientists excited.
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe got the souvenir of a lifetime during its trip to study the Sun last year. The probe snapped this stunning photo of Venus on July 11, 2020, according to NASA. The photo showcases amazing details of the Venusian surface from 7,693 miles away—but one particular detail in it, released by NASA this week, has scientists excited. The probe used its onboard Wide-field Imager (WISPR) to capture the photo. Though the instrument was designed to capture images of the sun’s corona, NASA was also able to use it to capture thermal information about the planet—something they didn’t know the instrument could do.
