Venus is second in the planetary organization of the Solar System. And it gets its unique name from the Roman goddess of love and beauty. It is estimated to be about 4,500 million years old and is one of the brightest objects in our sky, surpassed only by the Sun and the Moon. However, even beyond this, Venus holds many secrets.
That’s why scientists often refer to it as Earth’s “evil twin”. Mote where it has been suggested that the two planets originated from the same material, as if it were an egg splitting. As if that weren’t enough, Venus and Earth have similar sizes and densities.
Venus: Earth’s evil twin.
Beyond mere coincidence, this surname is supported by a range of factors. Scientists refer to it as an evil twin because, unlike Earth, Venus stands out as a hostile world to humans and any known life., Its atmosphere has a 24 km thick layer composed mainly of carbon dioxide. why Their skies are often covered with clouds of sulfuric acid,
Hence the greenhouse effect on this planet is severe. Temperatures on Venus often reach incredibly high levels. For example, some estimates suggest that the thermometer on the surface of Venus could reach as high as 480 °C. The lead in those parts would melt and become liquid.
It wasn’t until a few years ago that we realized oceans never existed on venus, Contrary to what was believed in the past. “It’s a crazy, but extremely interesting place,” says Lori Glaze, director of planetary science at NASA. However, the reasons for Venus being considered Earth’s evil twin go much further.
And although the scientific community calls it a “rogue” planet, the reality is that it arouses great interest among astronomy lovers. For example, a 2021 study found evidence that Tectonic plates in the crust of Venus may be rubbing against each other, A phenomenon very similar to what is happening on our planet.
Plate tectonics on Venus?
However, it should be clarified that the plates of Venus are not the same as terrestrial tectonic plates. However, the discovery suggests that the planet’s crust is not an integral and continuous lithosphere, but presents convectional motion beneath the surface. Something like this not only provides a different perspective on Venus, but it could also help us better understand the evolution and tectonic dynamics of our own planet.
“An unknown pattern of tectonic deformation has been identified on Venus, apparently driven by internal motion, as occurs on Earth. Although it is different from the tectonics observed here, it is still consistent with internal motion expressed on the Venusian surface.” is in evidence,” explains planetary scientist Paul Byrne of North Carolina State University.
Despite similarities, the evolution of Earth and Venus followed very different paths. And the reasons why this happened are still not very clear. So if scientists can explain how one hot desert and the other ocean planet formed, we’ll be in a better position to understand similar exoplanets.
“On Earth, plate tectonics are driven by convection from the mantle. Temperature differences in this intermediate layer of our planet favor this motion, which is eventually transferred to the surface in the form of plate movement. And one such The mechanism appears to be at work on Venus. It is not about tectonic plates like on Earth, as mountain systems do not form on that planet like here and there is no evidence of a giant subduction system. But it is about internal mantle flow. pathology, something that hasn’t been shown on a global scale before,” Byrne says.
