The NO Venus nightglow: SPICAV observations and implications on transport in the lower thermosphere

A new set of 725 NO limb profiles has been analyzed. The profiles have been deconvolved and inverted to get volume emission rates. Updates mean VER peak altitude is 115 km, in excellent agreement with PV results obtained 30 years ago. The corresponding average vertical intensity is 1.2 kR.
The altitude of emission occurs at a higher altitude near the bright spot region than at larger distances (by about 7 km). The location of the statistical bright spot is the same as observed with PV (that is shifted dawnward by 2 hrs and slightly south of AS point). The nightside mean vertical intensity is between 0.4 and 1.8 kR, which brackets the values derived from the limb profiles.

These results, coupled with other airglow measurements, provide constraints on global atmospheric circulation and vertical transport