Venus may have once possessed strange oceans of carbon dioxide fluid that helped shape the planets surface, researchers say. 60 Billion Planets Could Harbor Life For years, weve believed that around 2 billion planets in the galaxy are able to support alien life. But what if we were wrong? Anthony discusses how new knowledge of the Goldilocks Zone could mean life on up to 60 billion planets. Venus is often described as Earths twin planet because it is the world closest to Earth in size, mass, distance and chemical makeup. However, whereas Earth is a haven for life, Venusis typically described as hellish, with a crushing atmosphere and clouds of corrosive sulfuric acid floating over a rocky desert surface hot enough to melt lead. ANALYSIS: Venus Express Orbiter Basks in Venusian Glory Although Venus is currently unbearably hot and dry, it might have once had oceans like Earth. Prior research suggested that Venus possessed enough water in its atmosphere in the past to cover the entire planet in an ocean about 80 feet deep (25 meters) — if all that water could somehow fall down as rain. But the planet was probably too warm for such water to cool down and precipitate, even if the planet did have enough moisture. [The Weirdest Facts About Venus] Instead of seas of water, then, scientists now suggest that Venus might have once possessed bizarre oceans of carbon dioxide fluid. Carbon dioxide is common on Venus. Presently, the atmosphere of Venus is mostly carbon dioxide, 96.5 percent by volume, said lead study author Dima Bolmatov, a theoretical physicist at Cornell University Source:discovery
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 15:32:27 +0000
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