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Scientists have obtained new data about atmosphere and other aspects of Venus. This was done by transmitting radio waves towards Venus 21 times from 2006 to 2020 from NASA’s Goldstone Antenna in the Mojave Desert of California. These radio waves studied the radio-echo which provided information on certain Venus traits.
Key Findings:
Longest Day:
- It was known that Venus has the longest day — the time the planet takes for a single rotation on its axis — of any planet in our solar system.
- The study found that a single Venusian rotation takes 243.0226 Earth days. That means a day lasts longer than a year on Venus, which makes a complete orbit around the sun in 225 Earth days.
Venus Atmosphere:
- The Venusian planetary core has a diameter of about 7,000 km comparable to Earth’s core which is about 6,970 km.
- Venus core is almost certainly cosists of iron and nickel, though it is unclear whether it is solid or molten.
- Venus spins on its axis almost upright – meaning it lacks noticeable seasons — while Earth has more of a tilt. The study calculated the Venusian tilt at about 2.64 degrees. Earth’s is about 23.5 degrees.
About Venus:
- Firstly, Venus is the second planet from the sun. It is similar in structure but slightly smaller than Earth (Earth’s Twin).
- Secondly, Venus has a thick and toxic atmosphere that consists primarily of carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulfuric acid droplets.
- Thirdly, the planet’s surface temperature is about 900 degrees Fahrenheit (465 degrees Celsius)—hot enough to melt lead.
- Fourthly, Venus is one of just two planets that rotate from east to west. Only Venus and Uranus have this “backward” rotation.
- Fifthly, regarding life on Venus, Venus’s extreme temperatures and acidic clouds make it an unlikely place for life.
- Sixthly, Venus does not have any moons, a distinction it shares only with Mercury among the planets in the Solar System.
- Seventhly, on Venus, one day-night cycle takes 117 Earth days because Venus rotates in the direction opposite to its orbital revolution around the Sun.
Source: The Hindu
https://forumias.com/blog/climate-change/
