The images of AKATSUKI acquired with the camera
IR2 at 1.74-2.3 µm report the discovery of an
equatorial disruption or “front” in the opacity of the
lower clouds of Venus at 50 km between 30ºN¿30ºS.
This feature appears on the night every 9 terrestrial
days during more than 8 months, and introduces a
dramatic and abrupt increase of the cloud opacity and
reducing the thermal radiance in a factor of about 1:2
from its brightest to the darkest side.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version
