Venus

This week we continue to chart the fascinating history of deep space exploration with a look at the Soviet space probes built to study Venus.

Three new, roughly Earth-sized exoplanets have been found orbiting a nearby star. Named L 98-59b, c and d, the small worlds were spotted by NASA’s TESS, as part of a larger haul of data that finally brings the total tally past the milestone of 4,000 exoplanets discovered to date.

Studies have shown that billions of years ago Venus might have been just as habitable as Earth. So what happened? New research has found that if ancient Venus was home to vast oceans, tidal drags may have slowed down the rotation of the planet and let it bake into the lifeless world we know today.

Saturn may sport the most famous rings in the solar system, but it’s far from the only thing with some bling. Now, two new studies have found evidence of new rings in the inner solar system – a dusty one in the orbit of Mercury and a new set of asteroids following Venus’ path around the Sun.

ESA is examining three space mission concepts to fill the fifth medium class mission slot in its Cosmic Vision science program. The missions under consideration include a next-generation infrared space telescope, a surveyor craft that seeks out transient high-energy events, and a new Venus orbiter.

A new study from an international team of scientists proposes that microbial life could exist in the clouds of Venus. The exciting hypothesis suggests mysterious dark patches seen in the atmosphere could be something akin to algae blooms seen in oceans on Earth.

Google Maps is both amazing and a little terrifying at times. Not content to just map out almost every corner of the Earth, Google has now added the ability to explore 12 other worlds in our little corner of the galaxy.

NASA is developing silicon carbide electronics that can withstand the incredibly hostile conditions of the planet Venus. The space agency has built integrated circuits that withstood over 520 hours in a simulated Venusian environment without special shielding or cooling systems.

​​Something strange is going on in the atmosphere of Venus, where what looks like a massive wave was spotted among the planet's clouds. The Japanese Akatsuki spacecraft observed the baffling bow-shaped bright region stretching for 10,000 km across the tops of the clouds.

Exoplanet GJ 1132b may be the first rocky planet outside our solar system where we detect oxygen in the atmosphere. But ET enthusiasts shouldn’t get their hopes up – orbiting extremely close to its star, the sweltering planet likely has a strong greenhouse effect and a magma ocean on its surface.

​​According to computer modelling, the planet Venus could have once been habitable, hosting a shallow-water ocean, and surface temperatures hospitable to life.

​Although you could bake a pizza on its surface today, Venus was once cool enough to hold water on its surface. Of course, as the planet heated, that water turned to vapor and should now be trapped in Venus' dense atmosphere. But it's not, and an electric wind is likely to blame.