Venus' mesosphere is a transition region between the retrograde super rotation at the top of the thick clouds and the solar-antisolar circulation in the thermosphere. The mesospheric distributions of HF, HCl, H2O and HDO are reported, and an unexpected extensive layer of warm air at altitudes 90–120 km on the nightside is found.
- Jean-Loup Bertaux
- Ann-Carine Vandaele
- B. Sandel