This visible/ultraviolet image of Venus was taken by the Ultraviolet/Visible/Near-Infrared spectrometer (VIRTIS) aboard ESA's Venus Express spacecraft. In the dayside (blue) it is possible to see interesting atmospheric stripe-like structures. Spotted for the first time by Mariner 10 in the 1970s, they may be due to the presence of dust and aerosols in the atmosphere, but their true nature is still unexplained.