Venus is the second planet from the Sun in the solar system, the "morning star" and the goddess of love of the Roman pantheon. It is the third brightest object on the night sky map. Venus is similar to Earth in size, gravity and composition, but because it is closer to the Sun and suffers from the strongest greenhouse effect, Venus is an extremely poisonous and hot planet. Terraforming it is not possible without much difficulty. It is assumed that Venus is constantly cooling down, but in any case, it will take too many years to bring its temperature "to mind". Given the fierce atmosphere of Venus, it constantly gives rise to mysteries for earth scientists and is extremely interesting to study, because it is very close to Earth.
Following news of an unexpected power leak, the Japan Space Agency had to shut down two of the five cameras installed aboard Venus's Akatsuki orbiter. For the probe, this may turn out to be very bad news, since the level of exposure to space radiation on the device turned out to be much higher than expected.
Most people associate Venus with love and passion. Probably, this amazing planet was named in honor of the Goddess of Love. It has almost identical parameters and mass with the Earth. These are the only common features of the planets. Venus's atmosphere and surface are not habitable. Moreover, it is not known whether there is life on this planet. Perhaps aliens live there? Next, we suggest reading more interesting and amazing facts about the planet Venus.
1. Venus is closer to the Earth than all other planets of our solar home.
2. Astrophysicists call Venus the twin sister of our Earth.
3. Two sister planets are very similar to each other only in external dimensions.
4. The geophysical environment of the two planets is different.
5. The internal structure of Venus is not fully known.
6. It is not possible to carry out seismic sounding of the Venusian depths.
7. Scientists can explore the space around Venus and its surface using radio signals.
8. Our sister can boast of her youth - only 500 million years.
9. The planet's young age helped establish nuclear techniques.
10. It was possible to take samples of the Venusian soil.
11. Conducted appropriate scientific measurements of samples in terrestrial laboratories.
12. Terrestrial analogs have not been found, despite a certain external similarity between Earth and Venus.
13. Each planet is individual in its geological composition.
14. The Venusian diameter is 12100 km. For comparison, the diameter of the Earth is 12,742 km.
15. Close values \u200b\u200bof diameters, most likely, are due to gravitational laws.
16. Someone has established a strict order: each planet must have its own retinue - satellites. However, Venus and Mercury are not so honored.
17. Venus does not have a single satellite.
18. The average density of the rocks that make up the poetic planet is less than that of the Earth.
19. The planetary mass reaches almost 80% of the mass of its sister.
20. Small weight relative to the Earth reduces gravity accordingly.
21. If we have a desire to visit Venus, then we will not have to lose weight before traveling.
22. We will weigh less on the neighboring planet.
23. Gravitational stability dictates its own orders and indicates to the planets in which direction to rotate. Cosmic nature endowed the universal right to rotate as expected, that is, clockwise, only two planets - Venus and Uranus.
24. Venusian day is the dream of people who always lack an earthly day.
25. A day on Venus lasts longer than its own year.
26. Poets, when singing Venus, count the day as a year.
27. The lyrics are very close to the truth. The rotation of the planet around its own axis takes 243 of our native Earth days.
28. Venus makes a route around the Sun in 225 our days.
29. Solar radiation, with partial reflection from the surface of Venus, gives it a dazzling light.
30. In the night sky, the sister planet is the brightest.
31. When Venus is at a close distance from us, it looks like a thin crescent.
32. The most distant Venus relative to the Earth does not look so bright.
33. When Venus is far from the Earth, its light becomes dim, and it itself becomes round.
34. Massive vortex clouds, like a blanket, completely covered Venus.
35. Large craters and mountain ranges located on the Venusian surface are practically invisible.
36. In the formation of the clouds of Venus sulphuric acid plays a decisive role.
37. Venus is the planet of thunderstorms.
38. Thunderous "rains" are constantly, only sulfuric acid falls out instead of water.
39. When chemical reactions acids are formed in the clouds of Venus.
40. Zinc, lead and even diamond can be dissolved in the Venusian atmosphere.
41. When going on a trip to the planet sung by poets, it is better to leave the jewels in the earthly home.
42. Our jewelry can be completely dissolved.
43. It takes only four Earth days for the clouds to fly around Venus.
44. The main component of the atmosphere of Venus is carbon dioxide.
46. \u200b\u200bThe Venusian greenhouse effect is due to a large percentage of carbon dioxide.
47. There are three plateaus on the surface of Venus.
48. Geological objects of Venus have an extended appearance and are surrounded by plains.
49. Due to the thick layer of clouds, it is impossible to observe Venusian objects.
50. Researchers have discovered the massive plateaus of Venus and other geological formations using radar.
51. The most unusual and mysterious is the Ishtar land plateau.
52. According to earthly concepts, the Ishtar land plateau is very large.
53. Geophysical measurements carried out using aerospace observations showed that Ishtar is larger than the United States.
54. Volcanic lava is the basis of the foundations on Venus.
55. Almost all geological objects of the planet consist of lava.
56. Venusian lava cools very slowly due to high temperatures.
57. How slowly do lava flows freeze? Millions of our geological years.
58. The Venusian surface is literally full of volcanoes. There are thousands of them on the planet.
59. Intense volcanic processes are an important component in the formation of Venus.
60. What is unacceptable on Earth, on a neighboring planet is in the order of things - the opposite of many geophysical conditions.
61. It is difficult to imagine the length of the lava flow in a thousand kilometers in the conditions of the modern Earth.
62. Marvelous Venusian streams can be observed using radars.
65. Earthly consciousness should be expanded, because the Venusian deserts are rocky formations that form a kind of Venus landscape.
66. For many decades, both poets and scientists believed that high humidity prevails on the sister planet.
67. Researchers assumed the presence of extensive wetlands.
68. Scientists hoped to find living forms of matter on Venus, which, as you know, prefer to originate in warm water mass.
69. After studying the obtained experimental data, it turned out that only lifeless plateaus are extended on Venus.
70. Mountain spring, pure mountain stream. If you are going to travel to Venus, you will have to forget about such concepts.
71. We will meet absolutely dehydrated rock deserts on our neighboring planet.
72. The climate of Venus is simply characterized. This is an absolute drought and the same maximum heat.
73. You cannot sunbathe on this planet, it is very hot - 480 ° C.
74. Water may have once been on Venus.
75. Now on the neighboring planet there is not a single drop of water due to the high temperature.
76. Specialists in geological sciences suggest that the planet had water about 300 million years ago.
77. The intensity of solar radiation has increased greatly over geological time and the water has dried up.
78. The very high temperature in the near-Venetian space excludes the possibility of life.
79. The pressure on one square centimeter of the Venusian surface reaches 85 kg. Relative to the Earth, this value is 85 times greater.
80. If a person entrusts his decision to a coin and tosses it up on Venus, then it will take a long time to make a decision, passing through the atmosphere like the thickness of our ordinary water.
81. If you like to walk with your loved one on earth surface, then before going to Venus you will have to take a training course on the sea or river bed.
82. Winds of Venus are not safe for man and technology.
83. Even a light breeze can turn out to be a storm on Venus.
84. The breeze can carry a person away like a light feather.
85. The first to land on the surface of the sister planet was the Soviet ship Venera-8.
86. In 1990, the American ship "Magellan" was sent to visit our twin neighbor.
87. As a result of the radio work of "Magellan" a topographic map of the surface of the planet Venus was compiled.
88. Constructive competition in space continues. American ships visited the hot planet three times less often than Soviet ships.
89. What was the first planet the astronauts saw from the window? Of course, my mother Earth. And then Venus.
90. The magnetic field on Venus is hardly felt.
91. As seismologists say, you cannot ring Venus.
92. Some experimental evidence suggests that the Venusian core is liquid.
93. The core of the planet is smaller than the Earth's.
94. Poets sing about the ideal forms of Venus.
The planet Venus is our closest neighbor. Venus comes closer to Earth than any other planet, at a distance of 40 million km or closer. The distance from the Sun to Venus is 108,000,000 km, or 0.723 AU.
Venus's dimensions and mass are close to those of Earth: the planet's diameter is only 5% less than the Earth's diameter, the mass is 0.815 Earth's masses, and the gravity is 0.91 Earth's. At the same time, Venus very slowly rotates around its axis in the direction opposite to the rotation of the Earth (i.e., from east to west).
Despite the fact that in the XVII-XVIII centuries. various astronomers have repeatedly reported the discovery natural satellites Venus. It is currently known that the planet lacks such.
Atmosphere of venus
Unlike other planets terrestrial group, the study of Venus with telescopes turned out to be impossible, since even M. V. Lomonosov (1711 - 1765), observing on June 6, 1761, the passage of the planet against the background of the Sun, he established that Venus is surrounded by "a noble airy atmosphere, such (if only not more), which is poured around our globe."
The atmosphere of the planet extends to heights 5500 km, and its density in 35 times the density of the earth. Atmosphere pressure in 100 times higher than on Earth, and reaches 10 million Pa. The structure of the atmosphere of this planet is shown in Fig. 1.
Astronomers, scientists and amateurs were able to observe the last transit of Venus against the background of the solar disk in Russia on June 8, 2004. On June 6, 2012 (i.e., with an 8-year interval), this amazing phenomenon can be observed again. The subsequent passage will take place only after 100 years.
Figure: 1. The structure of the atmosphere of Venus
In 1967, the Soviet interplanetary probe Venera-4 for the first time transmitted information about the planet's atmosphere, which is 96% carbon dioxide (Fig. 2).
Figure: 2. Composition of the atmosphere of Venus
Due to the high concentration of carbon dioxide, which, like a film, retains heat near the surface, the planet is experiencing a typical greenhouse effect (Fig. 3). Thanks to the greenhouse effect near the surface of Venus, all existence is excluded liquid water... The air temperature on Venus is approximately +500 ° C. In such conditions, organic life is excluded.
Figure: 3. The greenhouse effect on Venus
On October 22, 1975, the Soviet probe Venera-9 landed on Venus and for the first time broadcast to Earth a television report from this planet.
General characteristics of the planet Venus
Thanks to Soviet and American interplanetary stations, it is now known that Venus is a planet with a difficult topography.
Mountainous areas with a height difference of 2-3 km, a volcano with a base diameter of 300-400 km and you
hundredth about 1 km, a huge depression (1500 km long from north to south and 1000 km from west to east) and relatively flat areas. In the equatorial region of the planet, there are more than 10 ring structures similar to the craters of Mercury, with a diameter of 35 to 150 km, but strongly smoothed and flat. In addition, in the planet's crust there is a fault 1500 km long, 150 km wide and about 2 km deep.
In 1981, the Venera-13 and Venera-14 stations examined samples of the planet's soil and transmitted the first color photographs of Venus to earth. Because of this, we know that the planet's surface rocks are close in composition to terrestrial sedimentary rocks, and the sky above the horizon of Venus is orange-yellow-green.
At present, human flights to Venus are unlikely, but at an altitude of 50 km from the planet, the temperature and pressure are close to those on Earth, so it is possible to create interplanetary stations to explore Venus and to recharge spaceships.
Venus ProjectIs a project of a new society that can save the whole world from total self-destruction and turn it into a highly developed civilization.
Venus Project - developed Jacques Fresco, a renowned industrial designer and futurist, a technocratic project social orderclose to utopian communism.
The aim of the project is to create “ resource-based economy»With the help of modern technologies. It is assumed that reliance on existing natural resources, technological innovations and techniques will ensure sustainable development for human society. In this case, the laws of commodity exchange are either ignored or deliberately rejected, including the Law of Value. Fresco argues that the world is rich in natural and energy resources and that “with a new modern technology and reasonable efficiency ”, the needs of the entire population of the planet can be met in abundance. The author of the project believes that the system of money on which modern society is built is vicious and inevitably leads to self-destruction. In his opinion, this system presupposes monopoly restrictions and limited resources. If a resource is abundant (for example, air), it cannot be sold. This approach does not stimulate the search for solutions aimed at actually eliminating the scarcity of a resource, for example, at obtaining a huge amount of energy. After all, then it will be impossible to sell it.
HOW TO MAKE THE TRANSITION FROM THE OLD MODEL OF THE COMPANY TO THE NEW?
Venus Project is at the stage of introducing a value system that will help us form a new social core. In our project, schemes and models of a prototype society will be presented to further test the validity of our proposals; we will strive to reach a suitable benchmark to which people can adapt intellectually and emotionally in the new technological era. We fully admit that some of the small details of our social schema could be improved or replaced by something more appropriate.
Since we live in a society based on money, we accordingly need money to implement our project. We can get them in several ways. First way. Development of the main film describing the benefits of the new social system for all people on the planet. Second way. Building a dedicated park where visitors can experience some of the benefits offered by venus project... Books, photo and video materials, models, film script and 25 acres of research center are ready.
All proceeds from the proposed projects, as well as donations, publications, videos, workshops, lectures and subsidies, will be spent on the creation of the first experimental city. Our proposals are submitted for consideration to the general public and everyone educational institutions... We also invite you to cooperation. If a sufficient number of people find our proposal acceptable and join us with active protection, then we can form the core of the organization and already achieve goals with greater force. project "Venus".
CHANGE
During the Great Depression of 1929, when banks went bankrupt and people were laid off from jobs, the situation seemed hopeless. Such conditions forced people to create new organizations and draw the attention of the whole society to these problems - in fact, this is how the ideas of Socialism, Communism, Technocracy and World Federalism were born. These people have created social awareness on a global scale. It was a natural reaction to the current situation, in order to change and fix something.
At present, people are not sufficiently informed to develop a suitable workable social system using rational methods. The Venus project will not be implemented by today's political leaders, who have been appointed to positions not to change the course of things, but to leave things as they are. Only through the collapse of existing social institutions and political incompetence, these people will be able to find other possible alternatives for the development of society. The only thing they are motivated by is harsh conditions that directly threaten their safety and existence.
No nation in the world will abolish its sovereignty for the sake of a social order that has never been tested before. Therefore, a social collapse is needed that will stimulate the search for alternative social schemes. This would be one of the most significant events in human history.
CRUSHING
Venus Projectcannot be implemented on a global scale until the world economic system collapses.
World collapse monetary system processes such as automation and labor outsourcing will be facilitated. This will be able to unite not only workers, but also doctors, engineers, architects and people of other specialties. As soon as the paying capacity of workers and professionals declines, the industry that depends on them will cease to function. This will ultimately lead to the complete collapse of the entire monetary system. People simply won't have the ability to pay to continue supporting this system. Even the video industry has created electronic announcers that will replace most people on television.
This collapse of an aging system has long been under way on a global scale.
While the collapse of the system is getting closer and closer, so far not a single person or organization has offered their options. further development of humanity, which soon may be needed by society. Our old system doesn't work. Even though people are well aware of what they need, they will keep repeating the same mistakes - wars, production downturns, booms and bustles, hunger, poverty and other unnecessary suffering.
goal project "Venus" cannot be achieved until people are well informed about it and the ways to achieve it.
Thus, our main task is to educate through the media (media). If a sufficient number of people study this direction, accept our proposals and want to implement them, we will work towards the construction of the first experimental city. The Venus project has schematics and plans for a community prototype.
The Venus project proposes to build a new experimental city with 2 functions:
(1) Study the performance of the Venus schemes and proposals to provide information to help people make the transition intellectually and emotionally.
(2) Formation of a permanent planning center used to develop further short-term and long-term global projects that will contribute to the implementation of a resource-based economy, help to overcome scarcity, hunger, poverty and other diseases of society.
It won't be a closed place for a select few, but a city open to the public. The proposed circular configuration for such new cities is not just a stylish architectural concept; it is the result of many years of research into providing an environment that best serves the needs of residents and conserves resources. Without comprehensive knowledge of the symbiotic interactions between Man and the Environment, it will be very difficult to develop real methods of solving our problems. Many important factors have been taken into account in the Venus project and all ideas have been carefully and thoroughly worked out.
Like other innovative social projects, it was started by several dedicated individuals who have devoted their time to spreading awareness of the humane benefits of this new direction. People were invited to help, in any way, in the initial phases of designing a new experimental city. An interdisciplinary team of systems engineers, computer programmers, architects, urban planners, sociologists, educators and others who could help.
The Venus Project does not view environmental conditions as static, unchanging. We must allow the adaptation process to be continuous within the system. This will avoid the perpetuation of temporary solutions after their expiration date.
The circular design could serve as a prototype for other cities to be built around the world. The dynamics of development will depend on the capabilities of the funds, as well as on how people will identify themselves with the project, actively participate and support this direction.
With the development and widespread distribution of such communities, they will be able to create the basis for a new social model through predominantly evolutionary processes, rather than revolutionary ones.
The Venus Project is not committed to the violent overthrow of the old free enterprise system, but we believe that it will cease to exist through evolution. We will do our best to ensure that you are sufficiently informed about the ideas of the project through books and video materials, and we invite you to join us in building a new civilization that can provide a decent life for everyone.
CONCLUSION
People want to know what needs to be done for the sake of universal unification. If you see yourself as part of the Venus Project, try to learn more about it through books and CDs. You can also help promote this direction in any way you can. Talking to other people about our ideas, doing charity work, subsidizing, publishing, promoting lectures, helping to create promotional materials will all help. If you want to make a movie, that will be very important too. We still have a lot to do to help get our message across to others.
Our research and proposals will become available to the general public and educational institutions. If enough people accept our proposals and join us, they can help shape the core of the organization to achieve the project's goals.
The future rests on our shoulders and if we cannot accept it, then others will think for us.
And the third brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon. Sometimes this planet is called sister of the earth, which is associated with a certain similarity in weight and size. The surface of Venus is covered with a completely impenetrable layer of clouds, the main component of which is sulfuric acid.
Naming Venus the planet received in honor of the Roman goddess of love and beauty. Back in the days of the ancient Romans, people already knew that this Venus is one of the four planets that differ from the Earth. It was the planet's highest brightness, the visibility of Venus, that played a role in the fact that she was named after the goddess of love, and this allowed for years to associate the planet with love, femininity and romance.
For a long time it was believed that Venus and Earth are twin planets. The reason for this was their similarity in size, density, mass and volume. However, later scientists found out that despite the obvious similarity of these planetary characteristics, the planets are very different from each other. We are talking about such parameters as the atmosphere, rotation, surface temperature and the presence of satellites (Venus does not have them).
As in the case of Mercury, humanity's knowledge of Venus increased significantly in the second half of the twentieth century. Before the USA and Soviet Union began organizing their missions in the 1960s, scientists still had hope that the conditions under the incredibly dense clouds of Venus could be habitable. But the data collected as a result of these missions proved the opposite - the conditions on Venus are too harsh for the existence of living organisms on its surface.
The USSR mission of the same name made a significant contribution to the study of both the atmosphere and the surface of Venus. The first spacecraft sent to the planet and flew past the planet was "Venus-1" developed by the Rocket and Space Corporation "Energia" named after S.P. Korolev (today NPO Energia). Despite the fact that with this ship, as with several other mission devices, communication was lost, there were those who were able not only to study the chemical composition of the atmosphere, but even reach the surface itself.
The first spacecraft launched on June 12, 1967, which was able to conduct atmospheric research, was Venera 4. The spacecraft's descent vehicle was literally crushed by the pressure in the planet's atmosphere, however, the orbital module managed to make a number of valuable observations and obtain the first data on the temperature of Venus, density and chemical composition... The mission made it possible to determine that the planet's atmosphere is 90% carbon dioxide with negligible oxygen and water vapor.
Orbiter instruments indicated that Venus was missing radiation belts, and the magnetic field is 3000 times weaker than the Earth's magnetic field. An indicator of the ultraviolet radiation of the Sun on board the ship revealed the hydrogen corona of Venus, the hydrogen content of which was approximately 1000 times less than in the upper layers of the Earth's atmosphere. The data were further confirmed by the Venera-5 and Venera-6 missions.
Thanks to this and subsequent research, scientists can today distinguish two broad layers in the atmosphere of Venus. The first and main layer is the clouds, which cover the entire planet with an impenetrable sphere. The second is everything below these clouds. The clouds surrounding Venus extend 50 to 80 kilometers above the planet's surface and are composed primarily of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4). These clouds are so dense that they reflect 60% of all sunlight that Venus receives back into space.
The second layer, which is under the clouds, has two main functions: density and composition. The combined effect of these two functions on the planet is enormous - it makes Venus the hottest and least hospitable of all planets in Solar system... Due to the greenhouse effect, the temperature of the layer can reach 480 ° C., which allows the surface of Venus to be heated to the maximum temperatures in our system.
Clouds of venus
Based on satellite observations Venus expressoverseen by the European Space Agency (ESA), scientists were the first to show how weather conditions in Venus's thick cloud layers are related to its surface topography. It turned out that the clouds of Venus can not only interfere with the observation of the planet's surface, but also give clues about what exactly is located on it.
Venus is believed to be very hot due to the incredible greenhouse effect, which heats its surface to temperatures of 450 degrees Celsius. The climate on the surface is depressing, and it itself is very poorly lit, as it is covered by an incredibly thick layer of clouds. At the same time, the wind that is present on the planet has a speed not exceeding the speed of an easy run - 1 meter per second.
However, when viewed from afar, the planet, which is also called the sister of the Earth, looks very different - the planet is surrounded by smooth, bright clouds. These clouds form a 20-kilometer thick layer that sits above the surface and is thus much colder than the surface itself. The typical temperature of this layer is about -70 degrees Celsius, which is comparable to temperatures at the cloud tops of the Earth. In the return layer of the cloud, the weather conditions are much more extreme, the wind blows hundreds of times faster than on the surface and even faster than the rotation speed of Venus itself.
With the help of observations from Venus Express, scientists were able to significantly improve the climate map of Venus. They were able to identify three aspects of the planet's cloudy weather at once: how quickly the winds on Venus can circulate, how much water is contained in the clouds, and how bright these clouds are distributed across the entire spectrum (in ultraviolet light).
“Our results show that all of these aspects — wind, water content and cloud composition — are somehow related to the properties of Venus's surface itself,” said Jean-Loup Berto of the LATMOS observatory in France, lead author of the new Venus Express study. “We used observations from spaceshipwhich spanned six years, from 2006 to 2012, and this allowed us to study the patterns of long-term changes in the weather on the planet. "
Surface of Venus
Before radar studies of the planet, the most valuable data on the surface were obtained using the same Soviet space program "Venus". The first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the surface of Venus was the Venera 7 space probe, launched on August 17, 1970.
Despite the fact that even before landing, many of the ship's instruments were already out of order, he managed to identify pressure and temperature indicators on the surface, which were 90 ± 15 atmospheres and 475 ± 20 ° C.
1 - descent vehicle;
2 - solar panels;
3 - astro-orientation sensor;
4 - protective panel;
5 - corrective propulsion system;
6 - manifolds of the pneumatic system with control nozzles;
7 - counter of cosmic particles;
8 - orbital compartment;
9 - radiator-cooler;
10 - low directional antenna;
11 - highly directional antenna;
12 - pneumatic system automation unit;
13 - compressed nitrogen cylinder
The subsequent mission "Venera-8" was even more successful - the first samples of the surface soil were obtained. Thanks to the gamma spectrometer installed on the ship, it was possible to determine the content of radioactive elements in the rocks, such as potassium, uranium, thorium. It turned out that the soil of Venus resembles terrestrial rocks in its composition.
The first black-and-white photographs of the surface were taken by the probes Venera-9 and Venera-10, which were launched almost one after another and made a soft landing on the planet's surface on October 22 and 25, 1975, respectively.
After that, the first radar data were obtained on the Venusian surface. The pictures were taken in 1978, when the first of the American spacecraft, Pioneer Venus, arrived in orbit. Maps created on the basis of the images showed that the surface consists mainly of plains, the cause of the formation of which are powerful flows of lava, as well as two mountainous regions, called Ishtar Terra and Aphrodite. The data was subsequently confirmed by the Venera 15 and Venera 16 missions, which mapped the planet's northern hemisphere.
The first color images of the surface of Venus and even a sound recording were obtained using the Venera-13 descent module. The module camera took 14 color and 8 black and white photographs of the surface. Also, for the analysis of soil samples, an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer was used for the first time, due to which it was possible to identify the priority rock at the landing site - leucite alkaline basalt. The average surface temperature during module operation was 466.85 ° C and the pressure was 95.6 bar.
The module of the Venera-14 spacecraft launched after it was able to transmit the first panoramic images of the planet's surface:
Despite the fact that photographic images of the planet's surface obtained with the help of the Venus space program are still the only and unique ones, they represent the most valuable scientific material, these photographs could not give a large-scale idea of \u200b\u200bthe planet's relief. After analyzing the results obtained, the space powers focused on the radar study of Venus.
In 1990, he began his work in the orbit of Venus spacecraft called Magellan. He managed to take better quality radar images, which turned out to be much more detailed and informative. For example, it turned out that of the 1000 impact craters that Magellan discovered, none were more than two kilometers in diameter. This led scientists to believe that any meteorite less than two kilometers in diameter simply burned up while passing through the dense Venusian atmosphere.
Due to the dense clouds that envelop Venus, details of its surface cannot be seen with simple photographic means. Fortunately, scientists were able to use the radar technique to obtain the information they needed.
While both photographic and radar devices work by collecting radiation that is reflected from an object, they have a big difference in reflecting forms of radiation. Photo captures visible light radiation, while radar mapping reflects microwave radiation. The advantage of using radar in the case of Venus was clear, since microwave radiation can pass through the planet's thick clouds, while the light needed for photography cannot.
Thus, additional studies of the size of the craters have helped shed light on factors that speak of the age of the planet's surface. It turned out that small impact craters are practically absent on the planet's surface, but there are no large-diameter craters either. This led scientists to believe that the surface was formed after a period of heavy bombardment, between 3.8 and 4.5 billion years ago, when a large number of impact craters formed on the inner planets. This indicates that the surface of Venus has a relatively small geological age.
The study of the planet's volcanic activity revealed even more characteristic features of the surface.
The first feature is the huge plains described above, created by lava flows in the past. These plains cover about 80% of the entire Venusian surface. The second characteristic feature is volcanic formations, which are very numerous and varied. In addition to shield volcanoes that exist on Earth (for example, Mauna Loa), many flat volcanoes have been discovered on Venus. These volcanoes differ from terrestrial ones, as they have a distinctive flat disc-shaped shape due to the fact that all the lava contained in the volcano erupted at once. After such an eruption, the lava flows out in a single stream, spreading in a circular manner.
Geology of Venus
As with other terrestrial planets, Venus essentially consists of three layers: the crust, mantle and core. However, there is something that is very intriguing - the bowels of Venus (as opposed to or) are very similar to the bowels of the Earth. Due to the fact that it is not yet possible to compare the true composition of the two planets, such conclusions were made based on their characteristics. At the moment, it is believed that the crust of Venus is 50 kilometers thick, the mantle is 3000 kilometers thick, and the core has a diameter of 6000 kilometers.
In addition, scientists still do not have an answer to the question of whether the planet's core is liquid or is solid... All that remains is in view of the similarity of the two planets to assume that it is as liquid as that of the Earth.
However, some studies indicate that the core of Venus is solid. In support of this theory, the researchers cite the fact that the planet is significantly lacking a magnetic field. Simply put, planetary magnetic fields are the result of heat transfer from inside the planet to its surface, and a necessary component of this transfer is the liquid core. The insufficient power of magnetic fields, according to this concept, indicates that the existence of a liquid core on Venus is simply impossible.
Orbit and rotation of Venus
The most notable aspect of Venus's orbit is its uniform distance from the Sun. The eccentricity of the orbit is only 00678, which means that Venus's orbit is the most circular of all planets. Moreover, such a small eccentricity indicates that the difference between the perihelion of Venus (1.09 x 10 8 km.) And its aphelion (1.09 x 10 8 km.) Is only 1.46 x 10 6 kilometers.
Information about the rotation of Venus, as well as data on its surface, remained a mystery until the second half of the twentieth century, when the first radar data were obtained. It turned out that the rotation of the planet around its axis is counterclockwise, when viewed from the "upper" plane of the orbit, but in fact the rotation of Venus is retrograde or clockwise. The reason for this is currently unknown, but there are two popular theories to explain this phenomenon. The first indicates a 3: 2 spin-orbital resonance between Venus and Earth. Proponents of the theory believe that over billions of years, the Earth's gravity changed the rotation of Venus to its current state.
Proponents of another concept doubt that the Earth's gravity was large enough to change the rotation of Venus in such a fundamental way. Instead, they link to early period the existence of the solar system when the formation of the planets took place. According to this view, the original rotation of Venus was similar to the rotation of other planets, but was changed to its current orientation when the young planet collided with a large planetesimal. The collision was of such force that it turned the planet upside down.
The second unexpected discovery related to the rotation of Venus is its speed.
In order to make a complete revolution around its axis, the planet needs about 243 Earth days, that is, a day on Venus is longer than on any other planet and a day on Venus is comparable to a year on Earth. But even more scientists were struck by the fact that the year on Venus is almost 19 Earth days less than one day of Venus. Again, no other planet in the solar system has such properties. Scientists associate this feature with the reverse rotation of the planet, the features of the study of which were described above.
- Venus is the third brightest natural object in the Earth's sky after the Moon and the Sun. The planet has a visual magnitude of -3.8 to -4.6, which makes it visible even on a clear day.
Venus is sometimes referred to as the "morning star" and "evening star". This is due to the fact that representatives of ancient civilizations mistook this planet for two different stars, depending on the time of day.
One day on Venus is longer than one year. Due to its slow rotation on its axis, a day lasts 243 Earth days. A planet's orbit takes 225 Earth days.
Venus is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. It is believed that the ancient Romans named it so because of the high brightness of the planet, which in turn could have come from the time of Babylon, whose inhabitants called Venus "the bright queen of the sky."
Venus has no satellites or rings.
Billions of years ago, Venus's climate could have been similar to Earth's. Scientists believe that Venus once had a lot of water and oceans, but due to high temperatures and the greenhouse effect, the water boiled away, and the planet's surface is currently too hot and hostile to support life.
Venus rotates in the opposite direction to the other planets. Most other planets rotate counterclockwise on their axis, but Venus, like, rotates clockwise. This is known as retrograde rotation and may have been caused by a collision with an asteroid or other space object that changed its direction of rotation.
Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system with an average surface temperature of 462 ° C. Also, Venus has no tilt on its axis, which means there are no seasons on the planet. The atmosphere is very dense and contains 96.5% carbon dioxide, which traps heat and causes the greenhouse effect that vaporized water sources billions of years ago.
The temperature on Venus practically does not change with the change of day and night. This is due to the movement being too slow. solar wind across the entire surface of the planet.
The Venusian surface is about 300-400 million years old. (The age of the Earth's surface is about 100 million years).
The atmospheric pressure of Venus is 92 times stronger than that of Earth. This means that any small asteroids entering Venus's atmosphere will be crushed by the tremendous pressure. This explains the absence of small craters on the planet's surface. This pressure is equivalent to the pressure at a depth of about 1000 km. in the oceans of the Earth.
Venus has a very weak magnetic field. This surprised scientists, who expected Venus to have a magnetic field similar in strength to Earth's. One possible reason for this is that Venus has a solid inner core or that it does not cool down.
Venus is the only planet in the solar system named after a woman.
Venus is the planet closest to Earth. The distance from our planet to Venus is 41 million kilometers.
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