Venus Express is making the first multi-spectral, global study of the planet’s atmosphere and investigating its dramatic greenhouse effect - the hurricane force winds that surround Venus and its inexplicably weak magnetic field.
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Venus, a planet of unusual brightness and the only one in the solar system with a clockwise rotation, has long stimulated the curiosity of mankind.
It is very similar to Earth in terms of size and density, but is completely inhospitable due to the high levels of carbon dioxide, high atmospheric pressure and an extremely high ground temperature.
Venus and the Earth are approximately at the same distance from the Sun: this means that they both probably once had a similar composition and moderate enough temperatures to host life billions of years ago. What happened to Venus, and why is it so different from Earth where the presence of liquid water and the comparatively mild climate are ideal for the conditions of life?
Venus Express is providing scientists with new data on the Earth’s twin planet, giving crucial insights as to why the two planets evolved so differently. The detection of heavy water in the atmosphere of Venus opens new doors to understand if water was present in the past, and how much of it has escaped.
