The Longwave Infrared Camera (LIR) detects thermal emission from the cloud top over
            a rather wide wavelength region of 8-12 um in order to map the cloud-top temperature.
            Unlike the other imagers onboard Akatsuki spacecraft, LIR is able to take both dayside
            and nightside images with equal quality and accuracy. The cloud-top temperature map
            will reflect the cloud height distribution, the detailed structure of which remains
            unknown, except in the high latitude observed by the Pioneer Venus, as well as the
            atmospheric temperature distribution.