SPACE — Thick, acid-rich clouds on Venus continue to shroud scientists on its neighboring planet with mystery. Researchers have long argued that the flashes of light recorded by previous Venus missions were evidence of lightning strikes on the planet.
The flashes of lightning found on Venus remain mysterious to scientists. This is because Venus’s clouds are unable to produce lightning due to a lack of water, a substance that is considered important in creating electrical charges.
Therefore, the discovery of lightning on Venus made scientists very enthusiastic. However, the evidence available so far is circumstantial.
Now, a new study suggests lightning may be extremely rare on the planet. Instead, the researchers offer a new possibility, that the flashes of light were detected
caused by meteors burning up in Venus’ atmosphere.
The research has been outlined in a paper published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets in August 2023. Also Read: Today’s History: Venera 4 Begins Its Legendary Journey to Venus
Assuming the number of meteors falling on Venus was the same as that seen on Earth, the team estimated the number of flashes caused by the space rock. The researchers then compared the data with flashes of light recorded in the planet’s atmosphere via two surveys: the Mount Bigelow Observatory in Arizona and Japan’s Venus orbiter, Akatsuki, which has been orbiting the planet since 2015.
The results suggest that a burning meteor about 100 km from the surface of Venus may be responsible for most or all of the observed flashes. “Lightning does not appear to be a threat to missions that pass through or even linger inside (Venus’s) clouds,” the researchers wrote in their research report.
Data from Venus missions by the US, Europe and the former Soviet Union includes signals that scientists have long interpreted as lightning strikes. In fact, lightning is thought to occur more frequently than it does on Earth.
However, in the past, the Cassini spacecraft on Saturn and the Parker Solar Probe on the Sun had searched for lightning strikes, but failed to find radio signals from lightning on Venus. Research like this is important for planning future missions to Venus, an endeavor that is long overdue. Missions to Venus continue to be adjusted, especially due to the recent detection of active volcanoes on the planet’s surface. Venus is thought to still be geologically active.
Also Read: Postponement of NASA Mission to Venus Makes Scientists Miserable
If lightning strikes really pose a risk, probes attempting to descend to Venus’ surface or those that will float for months in its thick atmosphere will need protection while collecting valuable data. While there may still be surface lightning originating from volcanic eruptions, new research finds this is not a significant challenge for future missions.
“Future spacecraft that descend rapidly through Venus’ atmosphere are safe,” the researchers said.
DAVINCI (Deep Atmospheric Venus Investigation of Noble Gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) is one of NASA’s ambitious missions to Venus.
The mission is scheduled to penetrate the planet’s toxic atmosphere in the early 2030s.
The new research finds that lightning strikes are more likely if probes hovering in Venus’s clouds are within 90 km of the surface. “However, perhaps attacks that are far enough away would appear more attractive than dangerous,” the researchers said. Source: Space.com
2023-09-14 12:04:00
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