Over the years, the planet has been associated with passion and romance. Lovers usually wait for dawn to break to see it shine in the sky. We teach you everything you need to know about the planet Venus of our solar system, learn about its characteristics and much more
What is the planet Venus?
In the group of Planets of the solar system, Venus ranks second, therefore it is ahead of planet Earth. It is a little over 6000 kilometers in size.
The rotational movement of the planet Venus is quite slow and is carried out in the opposite direction to that of the Earth. If they wanted to calculate the rotation time, in relation to the days on Earth, it would take 243 days for it to complete its rotation movement on its own axis.
To make its movement around the Sun, this planet uses 225 days, since its day is 5832 hours. Another curious fact is that as it rotates in the opposite direction to the Earth, the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east.
Although Venus is not the planet that is located in first place, within the solar system, its temperature is quite high, being able to reach more than 480 ° C. This is due to the presence of high concentrations of Carbon Dioxide in its atmosphere, with the consequent greenhouse effect.
Another reason for its high temperatures is that there are huge concentrations of Sulfuric Acid, in the form of clouds that are responsible for trapping heat, keeping it inside the atmosphere.
The relief of Venus is quite rich and diverse, you can see that there are high peaks, as well as some volcanoes. It has no presence of natural satellites or moons that orbit around it.
It is Mount Maxwell, the highest point on the planet Venus and is located in the Ishatar area. On the other hand, the plateaus of Aphrodite extend 50% from the equator.
characteristics of the planet
Without going too deep into the description of Venus, the following characteristics can be mentioned:
- Diameter: 12104km
- Mass: 4,869x
- Volume: 9,28x
- Density: 5,24g/
It is counted as the planet that ranks second in terms of its density. It is the closest to Earth, located only 38 million kilometers away.
The outer core composed of iron and nickel in a liquid state would represent 30% of the radius of the planet.
The planet Venus and its structure
The structure of the planet Venus consists of an inner core, an outer shell, the shield, and the crust. Below you will find a brief mention of each of them.
External nucleus
This section of the planet is composed of Iron and Nickel in a liquid state. It represents more than 30% of the total of the planet.
Inner core
It also has the presence of iron and nickel minerals, but in a solid state and they group more than 15% of the radius of the planet Venus. Although other hypotheses suggest that because it does not have a magnetic field, its entire core is liquid.
Escudo
It is made up of a large amount of rocky material, with large concentrations of silicates. They can also find the presence of metal oxides, which accounts for 53% of their entire radius.
Cortex
It is barely 20 kilometers or less than 1% of the entire planet. Silicates very similar to granite, iron and magnesium are very likely to be found. Very frequent elements to find in the expulsions of volcanic lava from planet Earth.
Geology of the planet Venus
The relief of the planet Venus is covered with large craters resulting from the impacts of meteorites throughout its history. Volcanic formations are the most abundant on its surface. Almost 90% of the relief consists of rocky material of volcanic origin.
From all the volcanic activity of the planet Venus, rivers are originated through which large amounts of lava flow. Traveling hundreds of kilometers, until reaching the flat areas of the planet.
Product of the volcanic phenomena, on the relief of the planet Venus, deformations of the terrain were created that resemble large pancakes. Which were identified as crowns and arachnoids.
The scientists determined that the crowns are the product of lava rising that pushes the crust upwards, creating a kind of crown. Artemis, is the largest corona and has a diameter of 2100 kilometers.
For planetary geologists, referring to relief deformations of the arachnoid type is quite difficult. Because they still do not know precisely the origin of their formation, but they are only typical of the planet Venus. They owe their name to the resemblance they have to a spider's web and can extend more than 200 kilometers from their epicenter.
Territorial division of Venus
The relief of Venus is made up of two plateaus, which stand out from the rest of its plains. These are the Ishtar Terra plateau, located in the north of the planet. On the south side of Venus, you have Aphrodite Terra whose size greatly exceeds the previous one.
Along the plateaus of Venus, some depressions originated in the terrain and of which the following can be mentioned:
- Atalanta Planitia.
- Guinevere Planitia.
- Lavinia Planitia.
Atmosphere
The composition of the planet Venus is present in high concentrations of carbon dioxide with more than 90%, nitrogen is present in a very low percentage, barely reaching 3%. The remaining 7% is divided between sulfur dioxide, argon, carbon monoxide, helium and water vapor.
The winds in the atmosphere far outweigh the spins the planet makes on its own axis. This is the reason, so that they make a return around Venus in just four Earth days.
Thanks to the winds, its surface temperature can be kept constant. Also making it possible for the temperature differences to be minimal between the light zone and the dark zone.
Due to the high density of the atmosphere, if compared to that of the Earth, the atmospheric pressure on its surface is greater than on Earth. Such pressure is 90 times more and they can compare it, as if they remained submerged in water, at a depth of 1000 kilometers.
The bodies that could enter the atmosphere of the planet Venus could immediately be completely and instantly disintegrated, due to the effect of high atmospheric pressure.
shine of venus
Another characteristic of its atmosphere is reflection. This phenomenon causes more than 50% of the Sun's rays that hit the planet to be reflected. That is why it is possible that its brightness can be seen, during the night, from Earth.
Scientific studies can be found, which indicate that thousands of years ago, the planet Venus had a climate quite similar to that of Earth. There were also large oceans, but thanks to the greenhouse effect they evaporated.
Of all the planets that make up the solar system, Venus is the one with the heaviest atmosphere. Where the essential hydrogen and helium were eliminated by the action of the solar wind, as well as by not having a gravity capable of maintaining these elements.
Due to the high geological activity on the surface of Venus, with the presence of volcanoes, tectonic plate movements and its liquid core, the gases present in its atmosphere are constantly being produced and expelled.
Particularities of its orbit
As you know, the second closest orbit to the Sun is that of the planet Venus. The rest of the planets that make up the solar system describe an elliptical orbit, but Venus has the peculiarity that its is much more circular.
When closest to the Sun, it is more than 107 million kilometers away. While its most distant location from the Star King is close to 110 million kilometers. As you can see, the radius that describes your Orbit it's pretty constant.
Due to its proximity to the Sun, there will be opportunities in which it will be located in front of it. Such an event is called the Transit of Venus, which occurs with very little periodicity. This type of phenomenon is known to have occurred in 2012 and is expected to occur again in 2117.
Like the rest of the planets, Venus meets the astronomical maximum of orbital periods. Each one of them has its determined time of occurrence and they are the following:
- Sidereal, or estimated time it takes to make its way around the Sun.
- Synodic, it is considered as the space of time in which it can be seen at a certain point, in relation to the Sun.
Relationship between Venus and the history of mankind
Since prehistory, man has always been interested in knowing everything that happens in the sky. And more has been his desire to meet Venus, for being her closest neighbor, in addition to being able to observe each other quite easily, both during the day and at night.
Below are some observations of Venus, made from different points on planet Earth and at different times in the history of mankind.
How did they see it in ancient times?
Throughout history, man has always sought ways to interpret events in the sky. Each one from his cultures and beliefs, give the planets and especially Venus, a magical-religious connotation.
Africa
As with the Romans and Greeks, the citizens of ancient Egypt considered Venus to be two different planets. This is how it had denominations if it was seen with the clarity of the Sun or on the contrary if it was observed at night.
The first representation of the planet Venus, in the Egyptian culture, can be found in the tomb of Senenmut, who was the guardian of Queen Thutmose II, in the year 1473 BC. c.
America
For pre-Columbian culture, it had great relevance in the religious sphere and for society in general. Thus, the Toltec culture had a great connection with Venus, considered the most important of the celestial bodies, for which the Mayans had more empathy.
Among the buildings that were erected in honor and the observation of the planet Venus, are:
- Caracol Observatory of Chichen Itza.
- temple of venus
- Temple 22, in Copan.
- Building in honor of the god Kukulkan of Chichen Itza
The study of the movements of Venus and other planets was of great importance, due to the domain of mayan astronomy, which directly influenced the development of their daily activities, as well as for the programming of their battles and religious celebrations.
Such was the passion for the planet Venus, that in their Dresden Codex they dedicate it 100% to its observation. They included the Mayans, an almanac where the cycle of his movements is shown in a complete way.
When the Spaniards arrived on the American continent, they left in writing the great importance that Venus had for the cultures of the region. These can be corroborated in the narrations of Bernardino de Sahagún and Diego de Landa.
Asia
In this region of the planet, there are stories that indicate that the Sumerians and Babylonians had great admiration for the movements of Venus and how these affected the daily life of their civilization.
Already in this culture, they had the possibility of being able to determine that indeed, each appearance of the planet, both during the day and at night, corresponded to the same star.
Europe
The Greek civilization had the conception that they were two different stars that appeared one at dawn and the other at sunset. The Greeks owe Pythagoras the theory that both appearances corresponded to the same planet Venus.
For the Romans, who also maintained the thesis of two different planets, they referred to the star they observed at dawn as Lucifer and as Vesper, which they could see at sunset.
Sightings in the Middle Ages
The first scientific observation of Venus was thanks to Galileo Galilei. He observed her phases, in addition to the variability in her size according to the phase she is in. Inferring that the further away it was from the earth, it was full and when it was positioned quite close to the planet Earth, it was in a growing phase.
Galileo also determined that Venus is much brighter when 25% of its surface is illuminated.
In the year 1639, astronomers Jeremiah Horrocks and William Crabtree were able to observe and make the first astronomical record of the transit of Venus. The next recorded was in the year 1761, by the geographer Mijaíl Lomonosov, who provided the details that Venus had an atmosphere.
These phenomena are very rare, and usually occur in the months of June or December. This is because in these months is when the planet Venus crosses the orbit of the earth around the Sun.
Several 19th century astronomers indicated that the period of rotation of Venus was 24 hours. But these estimates were refuted by the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli, who estimated it in a much shorter time.
The similarity between the rotation of Venus and its point of closest proximity to Earth caused this statement to be established. In addition to the fact that it seems that the planet shows the same side, when you have the best observation position.
Observation of the rotational movement
In the year 1961 they were able to observe the rotation period of Venus, during the conjunction that occurred that year. It was able to be registered thanks to the technology they had at the Goldstone radio astronomy observatories in the United States, Jodrell Bank in England and at the deep space communications center in Crimea.
Transit of Venus
It is known as the transit of Venus, the astronomical phenomenon that occurs with the passage of this star between the Sun and the planet Earth. Due to how distant Venus is in relation to Earth and because of its size. They can only see a black dot that stands in the Sun for a period of time, up to 8 hours.
Although it is an unusual phenomenon, the transits of Venus can be predicted. These occur exactly every 243 years, accompanied by two transits that are eight years apart. With a difference of little more than a century, from the next transit.
The study of the transits of Venus, are of great relevance for scientific records and contributions, which allow to reformulate hypotheses, theories and estimates of the Sun and the rest of the planets that make up the solar system.
Planet Venus and the transit frequency
Due to the declining orbit of the planet Venus relative to Earth's, it is usually above or below the Sun, when inferior alignment occurs.
These transits happen when Venus is perfectly aligned in relation to the Sun. For this reason, it stands between the Sun and planet Earth, even when they are separated by their orbital inclinations.
The frequency of occurrence of this phenomenon is every 243 years. Time in which Venus and Earth; They are perfectly aligned again and almost 89 days have passed on Earth for such an event to occur.
The patterns of occurrence of the transits, despite having a constant of 243 years, have variations in relation to the number and their periods over time.
Below you can see some of the transits that have occurred and those that are about to happen.
- 1396 on November 23.
- 1518, between May 25 and 26.
- 1526, occurred on May 23.
- 1631 were able to observe it on December 7.
- 1639 phenomenon observed on December 4.
- 1761 occurred on June 6.
- 1769, registered between June 3 and 4.
- 1874 on December 9.
- 1882 event occurred on December 6.
- 2004 were able to observe it on June 8.
- 2012 had an occurrence date between June 5 and 6.
- 2117, estimated its occurrence for December 11.
- 2125 possibly by December 8.
- 2247 on June 11.
- 2255 scheduled to occur on June 9.
- 2360 its occurrence will be on December 12 or 13.
- 2368 on December 10.
- 2490 can happen on June 12.
- 2498 will take place on June 10.
How were the transits of Venus seen in ancient times?
From the beginning, civilizations with inclinations for the knowledge of the cosmos, have been interested in knowing the planets and especially Venus. This is how the first records of their movements were made, by the Indians, Greeks, Babylonians, Mayans, Egyptians and Chinese.
Initially they believed that they were two different planets, those that appeared in the morning and in the afternoon. This is how it is assigned in the name of Eósforo or morning star and Hesperus or evening star.
There is no evidence to support that records and observations of the transits of Venus have been made in these cultures.
It was also of great importance and significance for pre-Columbian cultures. Very especially for the civilization of the Mayans, who were able to describe the entire cycle of the movement of Venus. However, there are no supports that demonstrate the knowledge of the transits.
Historical background of the transits of Venus
- The calculation of the different locations of Venus, over time, in addition to its occurrence every 130 years, is thanks to the astronomer Johannes Kepler. This scientist was able to predict the phenomena that occurred in 1631 and 1761.
- It was the English astronomer and mathematician Jeremiah Horrocks who made some adjustments to the calculation of Venus and its trajectory. Based on the data obtained, he was able to determine what a transit would occur on December 4, 1639.
- Edmund Halley, who was an English astronomer, in 1716 developed a measurement method to calculate the distance between Venus and Earth, with which they could also establish the Earth-Sun astronomical unit. That it would be of great benefit in the transit of the year 1761.
- The last contribution of the study of the transits of Venus, was that of the extrasolar planets. It was thanks to the observations of scientists, while making measurements in the variations of light from the Sun, when Venus stands in its way.
This revolutionary technique originated in 2004 and was quickly implemented to study other stars in the cosmos.
Observations in the XNUMXth century
With the development of the method of measuring the Earth – Venus distance by the astronomer Edmund Halley and using the transit of Venus that would occur in 1761. Observation commissions were created with the presence of the most renowned astronomers in the world, to record from 70 different places on the planet.
This event became the first international scientific undertaking of observation. The locations from where the records and observations of the transit of Venus were made were:
- Santa Helena
- Sumatra
- Siberia
- Vienna
- Rodrigues Islands (Mauritius)
- The India
Despite the scheduled logistics, the results they obtained did not meet expectations. This was due to the prevailing weather conditions at the time, which did not allow the exact position of Venus to be pinpointed, and the difficulty of applying the Halley method.
Another of those who made great contributions, through the study of the planet Venus, was the geographer of Russian origin Mijaíl Lomonosov. This scientist was able to notice how the sun's rays changed direction due to the effect of refraction.
Due to the change in direction of sunlight, on the opposite side of the transit movement of Venus, they determined that this planet also had an atmosphere.
Then would come the structuring of the observation teams for June 3, 1769, when the next transit movement of Venus would take place.
For the observation and recording of this unique phenomenon, the most select and prestigious scientists and observers gathered again, among whom were:
- James Cook, captain of the English navy, as well as a renowned cartographer. The planetary event followed, from Fort Venus on the Island of Tahiti.
Another observation point was established in the Baja California peninsula, where the following stood out:
- Jean Chappe d'Auteroche, prestigious French astronomer.
- Vicente de Doz, renowned Spanish mathematician and astronomer.
- Salvador de Medina, frigate captain of the Spanish navy.
- Joaquín Velázquez Cárdenas de León, Spanish astrologer.
German astronomer Johann Franz Encke, who by 1835 was director of the Berlin observatory. Supported by the records and observations that were obtained from the transits of 1761 and 1769, he was able to determine the value of the solar parallax.
Planet Venus and the most recent observations
As the years passed and the movements of the transit of Venus, they became more important. Other scientists and countries joined their observation and registration.
For the phenomenon that occurred between the years 1874 and 1882 respectively, the scientific academies of various countries commissioned their most outstanding specialists.
The scientific academy of France sent its observation team to New Caledonia, Beijing, New Zealand, among others. They also located in Argentina, a refracting telescope, which was requested by the Paris Astronomical Observatory.
For its part, London, through its Astronomical Society, was able to obtain more than 3000 photographic records of the entire development of the movement.
Also for the phenomenon that would occur in 1874, the Astrology Commission of Mexico participates, whose objective was to observe and record the transit of Venus through the disk of the Sun.
The scientific societies of Spain joined the stream of observers for the first time in 1882. And they established their observation commands from Cuba and Puerto Rico.
reconnaissance of venus
Of all the planets that make up the solar system, after the Moon. Venus was the other star that had the greatest number of explorations, through a space probe. The mystery behind it has given rise to innumerable expeditions.
Both Russian and American scientists, between the 60s and 70s, designed and developed space probes for their exploration. This deployment of explorations to the planet Venus, was diminished between the years 1980 and 1990.
When scientists from all over the world have wanted to send space equipment and instruments to study Venus, they have seen the need to design space artifacts that are capable of traveling distances of more than 40 million kilometers. This is for the simple reason that the orbit of this planet is much closer to the Sun.
Due to the little information that scientists had at the beginning of the century, regarding the variability of the atmosphere of Venus, it was difficult for them to design a spacecraft that was capable of maneuvering in order to make a safe descent.
Exploratory missions in the 1960s
Below you will find some mentions of the expeditions carried out by scientists from different countries. In search of a better understanding of this fascinating planet.
first missions
The first exploratory mission to observe the planet Venus was through the Sputnik space device. Whose launch was in the month of February 1961, but it was not successful, since it could not leave Earth's orbit.
Another probe, but Russian-made, took off that same year. Russian scientists baptized it with the name of Venera 1, becoming the first space device to be launched to another planet and to be successful.
Although the Venera 1 probe failed to reach its destination due to a malfunction in its orientation equipment, it provided valuable data to improve the following aspects:
- Solar panels.
- Communication and telemetry equipment.
- Engine stabilizers.
The scientists estimated that seven days after its launch and traveling 2.000.000 kilometers. It was able to pass close to 100 thousand kilometers away from the planet Venus, but this fact could not be verified, because they lost communication with the device.
In July 1962, another mission to Venus is launched by NASA. The space artifact was the Mariner 1 and this does not come to a happy end either, due to an explosion during its takeoff.
In the race to achieve results before the United States, the Soviet Union scheduled the launch of the Sputnik 19 probe. Its takeoff was scheduled for August 1962, but it suffered the same fate as the North American probe.
Planet Venus and close flybys
The year 1962 marked a milestone in the history of observations of the planet Venus. The spacecraft Mariner 2 was able to fly over a distance of more than 30.000 kilometers from Venus.
The transmission that the probe was able to carry out made it possible to establish that the planet did not have a magnetic field, and it was also able to sample the temperature emissions.
Due to the rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States, it forced the group of Russian federations to design and manufacture new devices to overcome what the Americans had achieved.
But a succession of failed missions prevented the Soviet Union from achieving success. Some of these missions are mentioned below:
- Sputnik 20, early September 1962.
- Sputnik 21, this probe was launched in mid-September 1962.
- Cosmos 21, late March 1964.
None of these missions were able to get out of Earth orbit and suffered explosions that completely destroyed them.
Other devices
The Soviet-made Zond 1 was scheduled to take off in April 1964. This spacecraft included a module that would cross the atmosphere of Venus and descend to the planet's surface.
But due to malfunctions in its transmission, Russian scientists lost contact with the probe in May of that same year. The group responsible for the mission believes that it was able to pass just 100 thousand kilometers from Venus on July 14, 1964.
Soviet scientists refused to give up the goal of landing on the surface of the planet Venus. To achieve this goal, at the end of February 1966, they launched the Venera 2 probe.
The space device Venera 2, managed to pass just 24 thousand kilometers from Venus, but could not send the data so valuable to the group of scientists.
Followed by the Venera 2 mission, the Cosmos 96 probes and an improved version of the Venera were launched, which they baptized with the nomenclature 1965A. But they still suffered the same disastrous fate as their fellow predecessors.
First missions to touch the surface of Venus
It was March 1966, when Soviet scientists managed to land the Venera 3 spacecraft on the surface of Venus. In October 1967, the Venera 4 descent compartment entered the atmosphere and was able to transmit data directly.
The Venera 4 probe made measurements of temperatures, densities and atmospheric pressures, and was also able to take samples to analyze the elements present in the atmosphere.
The Venera 4 space device was followed by the Venera 5 and 6. Each of them with their well-defined observation schedules, to complete the task of the previous space probes.
manned travel missions
Although the idea aroused much interest from scientists of the technological superpowers. These ideas never came to fruition for multiple reasons.
The intention of these missions was that the ship could orbit Venus and then return to planet Earth. On the part of the North Americans, through NASA, they proposed their mission with the use of the technology of the Apollo Space Program.
While those responsible for the project on the Soviet side would use the technology of the interplanetary rocket ship N-1.
Explorations in the 70s
As in the previous decade, the 70s were also marked by many failures, but also by great achievements. Technological advances allowed giant leaps in the collection of more data from the planet Venus.
In December 1970, contact with the surface of the planet was successfully made, thanks to the Venera 7 spacecraft. With this probe they were able to determine that the surface temperature was higher than 450 °C.
The next in the generation of Venera probes was Venera 8. This device made contact at the end of July 72, providing data on the pressure and temperature of the planet. On the other hand, they obtained data from the clouds of Venus, with the help of the photometer that it carried.
The Cosmos 482 probe did not have the same luck, which suffered a serious accident when they were preparing its launch.
The analysis of the atmosphere of Venus, through ultraviolet cameras, occurred in February of the year 74. The North American aerospace service put the spacecraft Mariner 10 into orbit.
Ferry Devices
They were the first spacecraft to be launched into orbit with the help of the space shuttles. A new stage in the space race begins, where the reuse of components is of vital importance.
The first to make use of the technology were Soviet scientists, through the Venera 9 space device. The event occurred at the end of October 1975, becoming the first artificial satellite of the planet Venus.
The space team had a large number of data collection equipment, including:
- Cameras
- Spectrometers
- Radar
The objective was to collect information on the cloud layers, their ionosphere and the magnetic field. In addition to carrying out an exhaustive analysis of the surface of Venus, with the help of the spectrometers incorporated into the module.
This collection of information was supported by the Venera 10 space probe.
The Pioneer Venus Project
The US Aerospace Agency scheduled the Pioneer Venus project to take off from Earth in 1978. This ambitious scientific project was planned to be carried out in two stages.
It was made up of an orbiter and a multiple space device. The Pioneer Venus multiple probe consisted of four atmospheric probes. The largest one was launched into space in November 1978 and three smaller ones were launched just four days apart.
On the way to the planet Venus they were coupled, entering the atmosphere of Venus in December 78, in the company of the space team where they were transported. Only one of the probes was able to operate for minutes upon making contact with the surface.
The Pioneer Venus orbiter was able to carry out other expeditions and remain operational until the 90s.
Soviet achievements
The race to overcome the feat achieved by its North American rival, was not long in coming. This is how Soviet scientists developed and launched into space in 1978, the Venera 11 and 12 devices.
They traveled to the planet Venus aboard a shuttle, undocking from the vehicle on December 21 and 25, 1978. The reconnaissance teams had color photographic equipment, drilling tools, and analytical instruments.
The space devices were able to collect valuable data with the help of their spectrum analysis equipment, in addition to X-rays that provided outstanding information on the presence of chlorides and sulfides, in large quantities in the clouds.
space missions in the 80s
The year was 1982 when the Venera 13 and 14 spacecraft were launched into space. Giant steps had been taken in the development of new technologies for collecting information from the planet Venus.
The teams had cameras with better resolution and high color quality, in addition to having tools to drill the planet's surface with greater reliability and resistance.
For the first time, scientists were aware of the presence of basaltic rocky material, with high concentrations of the element Potassium, thanks to the X-ray equipment that the probes were equipped with.
The next generation of Venera probes were deployed from Earth and entered Venus orbit in early October 1983. The Venera 15 spacecraft was tasked with mapping the atmosphere of Venus and then analyzing it with the help of a infrared spectrometry equipment.
While the Venera 16 was in charge of making a map of the northern part of Venus, with the help of a wide-spectrum radar. Providing precise details of the features of the planet's crust.
For the first time, scientists were able to observe the volcanic formations of the planet Venus and corroborate the theory of the absence of tectonic plates.
Vega Project
In the mid-80s, the Soviet spacecraft Vega 1 and 2 were activated and lifted off from their base in June 1985, just four days apart.
The probes were equipped with measuring instruments to verify the presence of suspended particles in the clouds and the structure of each of them. For this purpose they had a Spectroscope absorption and also for the analysis of aerosol particles.
The results that were sent to the terrestrial base, was that the clouds were constituted of sulfuric and phosphoric acid.
They were unable to obtain images of the surface, due to the absence of cameras in the transportation vehicles.
The group of scientists from the Soviet Union designed hot air balloons, with which the probes could float around the planet Venus and make measurements of wind speed, atmospheric pressure and temperature.
In addition to collecting data on Venus, the two probes were responsible for collecting information on Halley's Comet, with which they would have contact 270 days later.
The Magellan mission
The US Aerospace Agency, using the shuttle Atlantis, launched the Magellan space registration team into space in May 1989. This probe would be located in Earth orbit, until its engine allowed it to take the path to the planet Venus.
Space projects in the 1990s
The decade of the 90s the end of the period of conquest and the birth of another type of technology that would impact what was known until now. Some of them are mentioned below.
Planet Venus and the domain of the Magellan mission
The Magellan spacecraft arrived at Venus in August 1990 and deployed its radars to capture as many images as possible. Every day it traveled around the orbit of Venus 7 times, collecting images of the entire planet.
In order for the Magellan probe to fully map the planet Venus, it used a total of 1800 image sections to assemble a single image of its entire surface.
The space scientists programmed the device so that the data collection was carried out by work cycles. These cycles would go according to the rotation time of Venus, that is, 243 days.
During the first image collection cycle, it was supported by the Pioneer probe until it exhausted its fuel reserves and became inoperative in August 1992 upon entering the atmosphere of Venus.
Thanks to the planet's imaging cycle 2, space scientists were able to calculate the height of certain formations on the relief. This second collection period ended in January 1992.
A third cycle took place in September 1992 and had the mission of specifying, with the help of radar, the registration of the entire surface of the planet.
Due to the development of technologies, the Magellan space observation device was able to obtain photographic samples of greater clarity than those achieved by previous probes.
Collection of gravitational information
A next cycle in the collection of information by the Magellan probe had the objective of obtaining and transmitting data on the gravity of the planet Venus and the task was completed at the end of May 1993.
To achieve its mission, the device was positioned 200 kilometers from the surface of Venus and it was thanks to the attraction of the planet's gravity. The positioning phase concluded in August 1993.
Scientists from the United States Aerospace Agency had scheduled the Magellan spacecraft to enter the atmosphere of Venus in October 1994. From that day on, NASA experts lost contact with the device.
Missions in the XNUMXst century
It is another stage, where technological progress goes through the super highway and new elements are incorporated for the study of the cosmos. Nothing will be the same as the previous missions.
Electronic components are developed that make it possible to reduce costs, space and weight of ferry ships. And the probe teams, here are some of those missions.
Venus Express
It is the time when the Americans and Soviets no longer have absolute control. Other government and private space agencies enter the game.
For the first time, the European Space Agency is committed to obtaining new data from the planet Venus with its Venus Express mission. European specialists scheduled the launch of this space device to study the atmosphere and surface of Venus.
The Venus Express spacecraft launched into orbit in November 2005 and was able to send back its first images from the planet Venus in early April 2006.
The European Venus Express space project was able to discover that constant cyclones were produced in the region of the south pole of the planet and electrical lightning was generated in the clouds.
Messenger space device
The North American Aerospace Agency deployed a space probe that they baptized with the name of Messenger. Although initially scheduled for the study of the Planet Mercury, made flybys of the planet Venus.
At the end of October 2006, it was close to Venus at just 3000 kilometers and in June 2007 it was able to fly over the surface of the planet at less than 350 kilometers.
In coordination with the European Aerospace Agency, they scheduled joint observations with the Venus Express spacecraft and the Messenger probe, to make some measurements and photographic records of the atmosphere of Venus.
