What substance primarily comprises the thick clouds responsible for Venus's high albedo?
Answer
Sulfuric acid droplets
The intense brightness of Venus, measured by its high albedo, is directly attributable to the composition of its atmospheric shroud. Venus is enveloped in extraordinarily thick clouds. These clouds are predominantly made up of droplets composed of sulfuric acid. This specific chemical composition makes the cloud tops extremely efficient at reflecting incident solar radiation. The reflection efficiency is cited as being in the range of 70 to 75 percent of the sunlight that strikes the planet, which is the highest reflectivity observed among all solar system planets.
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