Planetary Aeronomy

Aeronomy concerns the study of the atmosphere i.e., all atmospheres, terrestrial as well as… “extraterrestrial”, like the atmospheres around comets or other planets from the solar system in which similar phenomena we already know on Earth, may occur.

Extra terrestrial atmospheres can provide us with precious information about our own atmosphere, its history, its future and even about the origins of life on Earth!

Mars, Earth & Venus (Image credits: NASA/ESA)

Within our solar system only two planets other than the Earth have atmospheres over a rocky core – Mars and Venus. Titan (one of the moons of Saturn) also has an atmosphere. These pages will focus on the study of the atmospheres of Mars and Venus.

Latest news : 

IASB-BIRA participates in the worldwide observation of the Venus Transit

IASB-BIRA is involved in the Venus Express mission of ESA with the SOIR instrument. SOIR will be operated through out the complete duration of the transit of Venus and its observations will be compared to observations performed with instruments on Earth or with the Hubble Space Telescope.

Moreover, our scientists will observe the transit from the Svalbard Observatory (in Norway).

Go to the Transit Page...