Venus is traditionally considered to be "hot" planet, because it has the atmosphere of carbon dioxide and the hot surface. However, recently space probe Venus Express has revealed in the upper layers of the Venusian atmosphere is an area where the temperature is from -175 to -73 degrees Celsius. This is very strange, because Venus is much closer to the Sun than Earth.

Venus is one of the most mysterious planets of the Solar system. Although its mass and dimensions are very close to the earth, the other parameters are very different from ours. Because Venus is shrouded in a 20-kilometer layer of sulfuric acid clouds, its surface is heated up to more than 450 degrees Celsius, and the atmospheric pressure is nearly 100 times greater than on Earth. But the change of seasons on the planet practically does not appear, because its axis is tilted toward the solar equator just three degrees (from the Earth's tilt is about 23 degrees).

Moreover, the orbit of Venus more rounded, so there are no sharp temperature fluctuations when approaching or moving away from the Sun. No and night temperature differences, as per night planet doesn't have enough time to cool down - dense atmosphere and clouds of sulfuric acid wrap her in a blanket, and winds from the sunward side bring you warmth. By the way, night on Venus, because its too slow rotation around the Sun, lasts almost two earth months. In addition, as in the process of evolution Venus lost almost all water, there is no rainfall.

The mission of the European space Agency's Venus Express was launched in 2006. Its main task is the study of the atmosphere, plasma environment of the planet's surface. On automatic space station has seven types of devices, created by specialists from different countries. Spectrometers and four-channel camera allow to carry out mapping of the planet in the spectral range - from ultraviolet to infrared - and thus to determine the structure and composition of its atmosphere.

In turn, plasma analyzer and magnetometer help to explore the surrounding Venus space: to identify the features of its interaction of the atmosphere with the solar wind structure of plasma and neutral gas environment, the magnetic field. And radio equipment is intended for studying the surface, the neutral atmosphere and ionosphere, the gravitational field and the interplanetary environment. Work equipment is coordinated so that on one task, there are multiple devices that can reduce the error of the received data and further research into the mechanisms taking place on Venus processes.

The next discovery was made after a five-year period of observation by passing sunlight through the Venusian atmosphere Arno Maya from the Belgian Institute for space Aeronomy, and his colleagues. Such analysis allows, for example, to calculate the concentration of molecules of carbon dioxide at different elevations along the terminator - the so-called border separating "day" and "night" side of the planet.

Abnormally cold layer was discovered by researchers at 125-km altitude. Scientists say carbon dioxide can become ice or snow. It is assumed that the clouds containing a small ice particles carbon dioxide, should be good to reflect light, and this makes them more vivid. Indeed, Venus Express had to watch in the Venusian atmosphere is very bright areas. But on the other hand, it cannot be one hundred percent to assert that it was "ice" cloud, " says Maya.

The study showed that the top and bottom from the abnormally cold layer terminator are two relatively warm layer. "The temperature on the hot daytime side and cool night at the altitude of more than 120 kilometers very different, so a terminator is in constant transition mode, experiencing impacts from both parties, - considers the head of the scientific group. - Night party may play a greater role at the same height and daytime on other".

On Earth and Mars nothing similar was observed. However, there is a different composition of the atmosphere and other temperature conditions than on Venus. Perhaps the Venusian phenomenon will become more clear when we examine the parameters of carbon monoxide, nitrogen and oxygen at high altitudes.