Venus – NeRDs Moonbase

Ongoing Venus Volcanic Activity Discovered With NASA’s Magellan Data

May 27, 2024 NeRD

6 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) This computer-generated 3D model of Venus’ surface shows the volcano Sif Mons, which is exhibiting signs of ongoing activity. Using data from NASA’s Magellan mission, Italian researchers detected evidence of an eruption while the spacecraft orbited the planet in the early 1990s. NASA/JPL-Caltech An analysis of data from Magellan’s radar finds two volcanoes erupted in the early 1990s. This adds to the 2023 discovery of a different active volcano in Magellan data. Direct geological evidence of recent volcanic activity…

Life as we know it could exist on Venus, new experiment reveals

March 28, 2024 NeRD

If Venus hosts lifeforms in its toxic clouds, they likely won’t be deprived of amino acids, one of the essential building blocks of life (as we know it). At least, that’s what scientists say is the result of a new lab experiment. Despite being Earth’s “twin,” Venus sizzles at temperatures reaching hundreds of degrees and is blanketed by clouds made of corrosive sulfuric acid, a colorless, carcinogenic liquid that dissolves metals, erodes our teeth and irritates our eyes, noses and throats. As such, the rocky planet isn’t considered to be…

Zoozve — the strange ‘moon’ of Venus that earned its name by accident

February 6, 2024 NeRD

About a year ago, Latif Nasser was having a pretty ordinary evening. The day was done, the sun had set, and he was standing in front of his two-year-old son’s crib, tucking him in. It was the same room he’d visited tons of times before, performing the same duties, looking at the same wall decorated with the same solar system poster he’d seen from the same … wait. What was that? For the first time, Nasser did a double take of the artfully illustrated poster. And, for the first time,…

Photographer snaps extremely rare ‘green flash’ coming from Venus

January 29, 2024 NeRD

Venus briefly flashed a shimmering green light in the night sky above Sweden, new footage reveals. The rarely seen phenomenon is almost identical to the ethereal green flashes that are occasionally seen around the sun during sunrises and sunsets. Photographer Peter Rosén captured the colorful flash coming from one of our closest planetary neighbors while he was watching Venus rise above the horizon in Stockholm in the early hours of Jan. 8, Spaceweather.com reported. The bright flash, which lasted for around a second, was an “unexpected bonus” that added to…

Crescent Moon Over NASA’s Kennedy Space Center

January 2, 2024 NeRD

NASA / Joel Kowsky The crescent moon, along with Jupiter (top right of Moon) and Venus (below Moon) appeared over the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida Feb. 22, 2023, as preparations continued for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission. NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren “Woody” Hoburg, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev launched to the International Space Station March 2, 2023. The NASA Headquarters photographers chose this photo as one of the best images from 2023. See the rest on Flickr. Image…

If Venus had Earth-like plate tectonics in its distant past, did it have life too?

October 27, 2023 NeRD

New research has revealed Venus may have had Earth-like plate tectonics billions of years ago. The finding opens up the possibility that the second planet from the sun, aka a scorching world, also once harbored life. With temperatures reaching levels high enough to melt lead, the hottest planet in our solar system seems an unlikely host for life as we know it — even the simplest kind. But, according to this new research, Venus was very different in its deep past. The goal of this work, according to the researchers,…

The History of Venus in Air, Rock, and Water

March 22, 2022 NeRD

Forty years ago, NASA’s Magellan mission “closed the book” on Venus. Now, a new generation of astronomers think the planet next door deserves a second chance. The post The History of Venus in Air, Rock, and Water appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

The Parker Solar Probe Captures Surprising Images of Venus Nightside

February 22, 2022 NeRD

A visible glow from our sister planet’s nightside sheds new light on a 300-year-old observing enigma dubbed the “ashen light.” The post The Parker Solar Probe Captures Surprising Images of Venus Nightside appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Venus Farewell, Moonless Skies for the Quadrantids

December 22, 2021 NeRD

Venus presents a stunning crescent at dusk before switching over to the morning sky early next month. After dodging the Moon for the Geminids, it’s dark skies all around for the Quadrantid meteor shower. The post Venus Farewell, Moonless Skies for the Quadrantids appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

The Case for an Active Volcano on Venus

November 2, 2021 NeRD

After decades of studying Venus, many questions remain about our planetary next-door neighbor. One question has particularly intrigued astronomers: which, if any, of Venus’s 1,600 volcanoes are still active? The post The Case for an Active Volcano on Venus appeared first on Sky & Telescope.