Venus Has a Newfound Active Volcano

Venus Has a Newfound Active Volcano
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The surface temperature of Venus is extremely hot, with an average temperature of around 462 degrees Celsius (864 degrees Fahrenheit). This makes Venus the hottest planet in our solar system, even hotter than Mercury, which is closer to the Sun. The high temperatures on Venus are due to a runaway greenhouse effect caused by the planet’s thick atmosphere, which is mostly composed of carbon dioxide and traps heat from the Sun. The atmospheric pressure on Venus is also very high, around 90 times greater than that of Earth, which further contributes to the extreme conditions on the planet.

Venus has a large number of volcanoes on its surface, and it is believed to be one of the most volcanically active planets in the solar system. The majority of the volcanoes on Venus are shield volcanoes, which are broad and flat with gentle slopes, similar to the shield volcanoes found in Hawaii. There are also a number of large volcanic structures on Venus called “coronae,” which are thought to be caused by the upwelling of hot material from the planet’s interior.

New volcano found in Magellan’s data

NASA’s Magellan spacecraft captured some data on the surface of Venus in the 1990s, and recent analysis of that data has revealed an active volcano on Venus, pouring out lava and changing the planet’s surface, as BGR reveals.

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The researchers had to be careful with the data, ensuring that the spacecraft’s movements did not distort the findings. The discovery of active volcanoes on Venus provides more data for future space missions to explore the planet. Scientists hope to learn more about Venus and its active volcanoes, which played a key role in shaping the planet we now call our neighbor.

Some of the largest known volcanoes on Venus include Maat Mons, Sapas Mons, and Ozza Mons, which are all over 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) high. The volcanic activity on Venus is thought to be one of the key processes shaping the planet’s surface over time.

The new study was published in Science


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Even since he was a child, Cristian was staring curiously at the stars, wondering about the Universe and our place in it. Today he's seeing his dream come true by writing about the latest news in astronomy. Cristian is also glad to be covering health and other science topics, having significant experience in writing about such fields.

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