NASA spots signs of tectonic plate formation on Venus
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Washington: Scientists have spotted circular fissures or bubbles on Venus which are signs of tectonic plate formation on a planet. These are altering the planet's surface.
Venus is the second planet from the Sun and has a thick, poisonous atmosphere. Despite its similarity to Earth in terms of size and structure, it is very hot on the surface. Considered Earth's twin, Venus has a squishy surface dotted with volcanic activity.
Experts think Venus is cooling down and it can be considered a proxy for how Earth's crust was 2.5 billion years ago. The extremely high temperature makes it hard to study the geology of the planet because the surface is constantly reshaped by volcanic activity.
"A new study looks at the outer shell of Venus giving clues to what Earth’s crust may have looked like 2.5 billion years ago. Using data from our Magellan mission, scientists have observed circular fractures or bubbles that change the surrounding surface of the planet. Unlike Earth, Venus does not have tectonic plates; its “squishy” surface is spotted with volcanic activity, which resurfaces the planet's outer layers giving Venus – often called Earth's twin, despite major differences – a youthful appearance."
One day on Venus is 243 days on Earth but it travels around the Sun way quicker than Earth does. A year on Venus is about 225 Earth days. It also rotates back on the axis which means the Sun rises in the West and sets in the East. At the beginning of the space age, Venus was researched a lot because it was the first planet to be visited by a spacecraft.
Scientists think there may be life on Venus. Bacteria are likely to thrive on clouds because it is cooler there and the pressure is similar to Earth's atmosphere. The presence of phosphine is considered evidence of microorganisms.
