Search results
- Did Venus ever host life? Big questions are often asked when thinking about other planets: Is there life? WAS there ever life? If so, what sort of life?
- How did Venus and Earth come to be so different? Venus and Earth are similar in size and density, so hypothetically, these planets could be very similar.
- How did Venus form? Even this seemingly basic question about the origin of Venus is still a mystery. “It’s amazing to me that we don’t know whether Venus formed from the same early solar system materials as did Earth and Mars,” says Getty.
- What is the atmospheric composition at Venus? The atmospheric composition of Venus is an important piece of the context we are seeking as we aim to better evaluate Venus’ potential habitability over time.
- Visiting Venus
- Ground Truth
- Reading Rocks
In the search for alien life, Venus and Earth would look equally promising from afar. Both are roughly the same size and mass. Venus lies just outside the sun’s habitable zone. That zone has temperatures that could keep liquid water stable on a planet’s surface. No spacecraft have landed on the surface of Venus since 1985. A few orbiters have visit...
To really understand the surface, scientists want to land a craft there. It would have to contend with the opaque atmosphere while looking for a safe place to touch down. The best map of the planet’s surface is based on radar data from Magellan a quarter century ago. Its resolution is too low to show rocks or slopes that might topple a lander, note...
And that presents the next challenge. Planetary scientists have to figure out how to interpret such data. Rocks interact with the Venusian atmosphere differently than they would with the surface atmosphere on Earth or Mars. Mineral specialists identify rocks based on the light they reflect and emit. But the light that a rock reflects or emits can c...
Sep 17, 2023 · Reflectivity makes Venus bright. The albedo of Venus is close to 0.7, meaning it reflects about 70% of the sunlight striking it. When the moon is close to full in Earth’s sky, it can look a lot ...
Oct 4, 2013 · Venus has an extremely slow rotation rate, to the point that it actually rotates slower than it revolves around the sun. In other words, its day is longer than its year. With the exception of Mercury, which has some resonance with the sun, the Venus day is by far the slowest of any planet, and for that matter, non-tidally locked object in the Solar System.
At the tops of Venus’ clouds, whipped around the planet by winds measured as high as 224 mph (360 kph), we find another transformation. Persistent, dark streaks appear. Scientists are so far unable to explain why these streaks remain stubbornly intact, even amid hurricane-force winds. They also have the odd habit of absorbing ultraviolet ...
May 18, 2023 · It’s no wonder. Venus is a tough place to study, let alone land on. The planet’s toxic environment is seasoned with sulfuric acid and pressurized at the surface to 90 times the crush at Earth ...
People also ask
Is Venus a difficult place to explore?
Why are there dark streaks on Venus?
Why would Venus never look full?
Is Venus a dangerous place to study?
Why does Venus have a high air pressure?
What is the atmospheric pressure on Venus like?
Jun 2, 2023 · Nope. That’s Venus, the second rock from the sun, If you haven’t seen the planet before, right now is the best time to take a gander. It’s not hard to spot: go out when the sky is getting ...
