The STESSy Group is a research and development team of scientists and engineers based at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía–CSIC (Granada-Spain). It devotes its efforts to develop instruments for the exploration of our Solar System with the aim of obtaining scientific data. The analysis and interpretation of these data allow us to advance in the understanding of the nature of the planets, their satellites, and the small bodies.
Latest news
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Sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid in Venus clouds, where are they gone?
Venus, often called Earth’s “evil twin,” hosts a thick, cloud-covered atmosphere dominated by carbon dioxide with traces of sulfur dioxide (SO2), water vapor, and other minor species. Its extreme conditions, including crushing pressure, scorching temperatures, and opaque sulfuric acid clouds, make observations challenging. To unravel this atmospheric complexity, members of the STESSy group use the…
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Venus atmosphere: nightglow, global circulation and EnVision mission (ESA-NASA)
The 80–130 km region of Venus’ atmosphere represents a key transition between superrotation and day-to-night circulation, yet remains poorly characterized by observations. Nevertheless, it is possible to study the Venus atmosphere dynamics by analyzing nightglow emissions as O2 and NO. Such emissions occur when atoms carried from the dayside to the nightside by the thermospheric circulation…
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Asteroids throw ‘cosmic snowballs’ at each other
Binary asteroid systems are relatively common among near-Earth objects, with about 15% of asteroids hosting small moons. A study co-led by a member of the STESSy group revealed that these systems are more dynamic than previously thought, exchanging rocks and dust through slow, low-velocity impacts that gradually reshape their surfaces over millions of years. Using…