Study Ties Venus's Missing Moon to 243-Day Rotation
Updated
Updated · The Independent · Sep 15
Study Ties Venus's Missing Moon to 243-Day Rotation
2 articles · Updated · The Independent · Sep 15
Summary
University of California researchers say Venus likely lost any ancient moon because the planet’s extremely slow spin would have dragged satellites inward until they crashed into the planet.
Computer simulations found hypothetical Venusian moons of different sizes would all have spiraled into Venus within its first 1 billion years, offering a new explanation for why the planet has no moon today.
Earth’s 24-hour rotation pushes its moon gradually outward, but Venus takes 243 Earth days to rotate once, reversing that effect and pulling moons downward instead.
NASA’s DAVINCI+ and VERITAS missions, targeted for the late 2020s or early 2030s, could provide new data to test ideas about Venus’s history and evolution.