Giant Concentric Rings Discovered in the Atmosphere of Venus

Researchers reported mysterious concentric polarized-light rings in Venus’s atmosphere.

A 2010 observation with the Extreme Polarimeter on the William Herschel Telescope captured ring-like patterns in polarized light on Venus’s dayside.

After years of testing for artifacts, the team concluded that 5–10% density variations in Venus’s upper atmosphere driven by atmospheric gravity waves could plausibly explain the signal.

The finding points to a potentially new atmospheric phenomenon on Venus and underscores the value of rare polarimetric observations.