Astronomy
The Photochemistry of Venus's Upper Atmosphere and Its Sulfur Cycle
Quick fact
The same sunlight that warms Venus also tears apart sulfur dioxide molecules high in its atmosphere, and those fragments help create the planet's global haze of concentrated sulfuric acid – a cycle that locks Venus in an extreme greenhouse state.
Why this is interesting
Venus is not just a hot, cloudy world – its upper atmosphere is a chemical factory where sunlight shreds and rebuilds molecules. How does this invisible chemistry shape the planet's thick, acidic clouds?