NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has taken its first visible-light images of the surface of Venus from space.

In the time since Parker Solar Probe captured its first visible-light images of Venus’ surface from orbit in July 2020, a subsequent flyby has allowed the spacecraft to gather more images, creating a video of Venus’ entire nightside. A full analysis of the images and video, published on Feb. 9, 2022, in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, is adding to scientists’ understanding of the planet likened as Earth’s twin.