Recent evidence suggests that Venus, long thought to be geologically inactive, may actually have active volcanoes. This discovery was made after a thorough examination of images taken over three decades ago.
“This finding is a significant step towards understanding Venus as a dynamic planet,” said Paul Byrne, a planetary scientist at Washington University.
Venus is comparable in size to Earth, leading some scientists to believe that its core could be as hot as Earth’s, leading to volcanic activity, earthquakes, and other geological events.
Using data from NASA’s Magellan spacecraft from the 1990s, researchers identified signs of volcanic activity on Venus. They found evidence of lava flows in areas like Sif Mons and Niobe Planitia.
Italian researchers published this discovery in Natural Astronomy on May 27. Despite challenges in analyzing the data, scientists believe there could be more volcanic regions on Venus waiting to be discovered.
Further exploration of Venus’s surface is planned for the 2030s with the launch of two NASA probes. This mission aims to provide more detailed mapping of the planet, potentially revealing even more evidence of active volcanoes.
Source: www.snexplores.org
