Mysteries of Venus Part I

In the ancient Babylon Venus was known as "Ishtar", Mayans called it, "Chak ek" which means "great star".Venus is the brightest celestial body in our sky except the Sun and Moon. It can be seen both day and night. Ancient Greeks thought it was two different objects and called it "Morning Star" and the "Evening Star". Except Moon and Sun it is still a brightest object in the sky.

This second planet from the Sun has fascinated astronomers for centuries, that’s why all of the scientists wanted to examine scrupulously the surface of the Earth’s twin.
First images were taken during the Magellan’s mission.

In November 2005 Europe’s Venus Express flew to Venus.

The main point of mission to Venus was to explore the atmosphere and plasma environment from orbit. But they also wanted to know how similar geology and physics surface of Venus are to the Earth’s one.

The exploration aims at presenting all mysteries and answers about this world: how could it be that planet which is so similar to our own in size, substance and composition has evolved differently over just about 5 billion years.

Venus has passed process of greenhouse warming, where stopped solar radiation has overheated the planet's surface to an enormous temperature of 467 C (872 F) – quite hot. It’s almost enough to melt aluminum. Dense atmosphere contains mostly carbon dioxide (CO2), generates a pressure nearly 90 times greater than on the Earth.

Earth can certainly take a very uncomfortable step towards Venus, though it's not likely to go all the way. Prof Fred Taylor, Oxford University.

According to Venus Express mission, scientists tried to better understand the mechanics of our own climate change.

"Earth can certainly take a very uncomfortable step towards Venus, though it's not likely to go all the way," comments Fred Taylor, Halley Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford, UK. (Source http://news.bbc.co.uk)

“The point is, we're moving in that direction and many of the constituents and mechanisms involved are the same. Even a few degrees change in temperature can be a disaster on Earth." (Source http://news.bbc.co.uk)

The main advantage of studding our neighboring planet can help us create and understand models of climate changes affecting the Earth.

"Venus provides an extreme test for the atmospheric physics models that we have for Earth," says Andrew Coates of the Mullard Space Science Laboratory at University College London, UK.

"Even though Venus is closer to the Sun, its cloud cover is very shiny and reflective," Fred Taylor explains.

"If you work out the energy balance, Venus is actually absorbing less heat from the Sun than the Earth is. By-and-large, you might expect surface conditions to be the same."

Venus has a 25km-thick layer of dim cloud which covering the planet's area from a view. That allow science fiction writers to create different abstract visions of planet contains lush jungles, marshlands and seas. That took a long time unless space probes were sent to investigate the planet. A close view finally crashed a romantic image of that planet.

From 1961 to 1989 Venus was bombarded by more than 30 spacecrafts sent from US and USSR. Only some of them reached their destination. The first successful flyby was made by the American Mariner 2 probe in 1962 – mission confirmed high surface temperatures.

Further missions sent back updates about the consistency and chemical density of the cloud layers and surface conditions. The USSR's made a further step. Their Venera 7 was the first successfully landed probe, survived for 20 minutes before being destroyed by high pressure and adverse temperature. Next flight made by Venera 9 in June 1975 showed us the first pictures of the Venus.

Second great achievement was putted NASA’s Magellan probe on the orbit, circling and making surveys about clouds density and surface condition. From 1990 to 1994 Magellan circled planet eight times per day.

Magellan's images reveal an ominous landscape where volcanic eruption covered up most of the planet. Everywhere up to horizon volcanoes. Different sizes and shapes are spread out across the planet's surface forming enormous lava’s oceans.

Scientists asked the question: Has the planet’s landscape been ever touched by running water?

Questions:

1) According to climate changes do you belief that after hundreds of years Earth could look the same as Venus now?

2) Is there any chance to find a similar planet where life could exist?