Venus Girdle and Morning Fog

September 29, 2003


Venusbelt

Provided by: Christine Churchill
Summary authors & editors: Christine Churchill; Jim Foster

The photo above was taken November 21, 2001 at 7:31 a.m. (Pacific Standard Time) from Kenwood, California. and shows the so called Belt of Venus or Venus Girdle. Within the Belt of Venus, the atmosphere reflects light from the Sun, which is still just below the horizon. Because of the Sun's position near the horizon, the scattered sunlight is reddened, giving a somewhat pinkish cast to the part of the sky just above the horizon and opposite the Sun. The darker band below the "belt" is still within the Earth's shadow. The Belt of Venus can be seen during every cloudless twilight from any location with a clear horizon. See also the Earth Science Picture of the Day for January 31, 2003. Note the extensive radiation fog clinging to the valley bottom.

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