What kind of planet is Venus?
Venus is the second planet from the sun, and it is called the morning star or the evening star because it is near the sun when viewed from Earth. Venus has almost the same diameter as Earth, and it is mainly composed of metals, so it is called a “terrestrial planet”. Also, Venus is considered to have the possibility of extraterrestrial life, and many probes have been sent to it. However, there is an amazing urban legend about Venus. It is that Venus is the future of Earth. Is that really true? In this article, we will explain the urban legend that Venus is the future of Earth.
The harsh environment of Venus
One of the reasons for the urban legend that Venus is the future of Earth is the harsh environment of Venus. Venus is close to the sun, so it receives strong solar radiation, and as a result, a lot of carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is known as a greenhouse gas, and it raises the temperature by not letting the heat from the sun escape. As a result, the surface temperature of Venus reaches about 460°C, which is enough to melt metals such as lead and tin. In addition, the atmospheric pressure of Venus is about 90 times that of Earth, and you feel a pressure like being in the deep sea. Furthermore, the atmosphere of Venus contains toxic substances such as sulfuric acid, which makes it a very harsh environment for life.
The slow rotation of Venus
Another reason for the urban legend that Venus is the future of Earth is the slow rotation of Venus. Rotation is when a planet rotates itself, and this causes day and night. On Earth, the rotation period is about 24 hours, but on Venus, the rotation period is about 243 days. In other words, one day on Venus takes about 243 Earth days. Moreover, Venus rotates in the opposite direction. On Earth, the sun rises from east to west, but on Venus, the sun rises from west to east. This unusual rotation is thought to have been caused by a collision with a giant celestial body in the past.
Was there life on Venus?
The question of whether there was life on Venus or not is also related to the urban legend that Venus is the future of Earth. Venus is currently an unsuitable environment for life, but it may have had a similar environment to Earth in the past. A recent NASA study found that there is a lot of phosphorus in the atmosphere of Venus. Phosphorus is one of the building blocks of life, and on Earth, phosphorus is released into the atmosphere by biological activity. This suggests that there may have been biological activity on Venus in the past. Also, chemical substances that may support the existence of microorganisms have been detected in the clouds of Venus. However, these evidences are not conclusive, and it is still unclear whether there was life on Venus or not.
This article explained the shocking urban legend that Venus is the future of Earth. Venus has a harsh environment and a slow rotation, and there may have been life in the past.
