Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Europe’s BepiColombo space probe, on its way to Mercury, made a significant discovery during its flyby of Venus, revealing the escape of gases like carbon and oxygen from the planet’s atmosphere.
Scientists studying data from the spacecraft’s brief encounter with Venus found evidence of charged particles escaping the planet’s gravity, propelled by sunlight accelerating atmospheric molecules to high speeds.
Unlike Earth, Venus lacks a stable magnetic field to protect its atmosphere, relying instead on unstable, sunlight-dependent magnetospheres generated by charged atmospheric atoms.
The discovery of gases escaping Venus’ atmosphere sheds light on the planet’s atmospheric evolution and the loss of essential components like water. Investigating these mechanisms is crucial for understanding Venus’ atmospheric history.
Venus’ atmosphere is primarily composed of carbon dioxide, with traces of nitrogen and oxygen. Recent observations have revealed the presence of oxygen on both the day and night sides of the planet.
As BepiColombo continues its journey towards Mercury, other missions, including Europe’s Envision spacecraft and NASA’s DAVINCI and VERITAS missions, are scheduled to explore Venus in the coming decade.
The findings from BepiColombo’s Venus flyby are detailed in a paper published in the journal Nature Astronomy, providing valuable insights into the dynamics of Venus’ atmosphere.
Continued exploration of Venus, including upcoming missions, promises to further enhance our understanding of the planet’s atmosphere and geological features, contributing to broader insights into planetary science.