NASA captured a "living" planet 30 years ago?

(NLDO) - "Excavating" data from NASA's Magellan spacecraft, scientists found something unexpected on the surface of another planet.

In the Solar System, there is only 1 planet and 1 moon confirmed to be geologically active at present, an important factor contributing to the stability of the atmosphere, water cycle, chemical balance... so that life can exist.

They were Earth and Jupiter's moon Io. But Io was so active that it turned into a volcanic ball.

Now, a team of researchers from d'Annunzio University, University of Rome (Italy) and NASA suggests that Earth may not be alone.

Sif Mons mountain system with active volcanic area marked in red - Photo: ESA

Analyzing data collected in 1990 and 1992 from NASA's Magellan spacecraft, Italian scientists unexpectedly found evidence of two areas that may have active volcanoes on Venus.

Like other planets in the Solar System, Venus has been geologically active.

But over billions of years, unfortunate planetary evolutionary processes have caused other worlds to "die out", becoming bare spheres with no activity inside.

But perhaps with Venus, scientists have been wrong. On the western flanks of Sif Mons and Niobe Planitia, two ancient volcanic structures, scientists have noticed differences over time.

The surface images of these areas in the 1990s and in 2023 have a big difference, which can only be explained by the presence of a recently appeared lava flow.

They also suggest that volcanic activity on Venus is comparable to that on Earth, suggesting that Venus is more volcanically active than previously thought.

Previous studies have also shown some suggestive evidence of plate tectonics. This new evidence suggests that Venus is not just a dead planet, but also highly volcanically active.

Although there are fewer eruptions, these eruptions are not less than those at the Garuda volcano.

This is a very exciting discovery, giving astrobiologists hope.

Several studies in recent years have suggested that the seemingly suffocating atmosphere of Venus may harbor many microorganisms.

That's not unreasonable, because this planet is actually located in the "habitable zone" of the solar system and started its life similar to Earth, before being submerged in the harsh greenhouse effect and scorching temperatures.

Scientists hope that VERITAS, a spacecraft being completed by NASA and scheduled to be launched to Venus, will bring back answers in the future.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nasa-chup-duoc-hanh-tinh-dang-song-tan-30-nam-truoc-196240530112230321.htm