The mysterious ‘star-spots’ of Venus
To the unaided eye, Venus is one of the most beautiful sights in the sky, outshining every celestial object except the Sun and the Moon with a pure white light. However, for telescopic observers the dazzling face of Venus is usually a disappointing sight compared with the richly detailed globes of Mars and Jupiter. An unbroken canopy of clouds overlaid by a thick layer of haze conceals the surface of Venus from prying eyes. It is not unusual for experienced observers working with powerful instruments under excellent conditions to find the planet utterly devoid of markings of any kind. When markings are visible, they
