Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. It has the longest rotation period of any planet in the Solar System and rotates in the opposite direction to most other planets.
The planet has extremely thick air, which flows much more rapidly than the rate at which the solid planet spins. As that thick atmosphere pushes against the planet’s mountains, it can change how quickly Venus spins.
Researchers used a computer to simulate the movements of that thick atmosphere. It whips around at 100 meters per second (around 224 miles per hour). Those winds exert enough push against mountains on one side of the planet and suction on the other side to alter the speed of the planet’s rotation. The thick atmosphere increases the rotation rate by up to about two minutes each day. Each Venus day, that is. And each day on this planet is 243 times longer than one on Earth.
All the precise measurements of the rotational period (day length) on Venus have varied by up to seven minutes. This error might be explained by the push and pull of the air over the planet’s mountains.
But scientists think there is some kind of other force that slowing the planet’s spin. Because planet’s spin isn’t accelerating in the rate it supposes to be. Researchers suspect it could be the sun’s gravitational influence.
The researchers reported their calculation in the July issue of Nature Geoscience.
Also Read:- Terraforming Venus and Mars with Sun-Shields & Nukes. Crazy Right?
The planet has extremely thick air, which flows much more rapidly than the rate at which the solid planet spins. As that thick atmosphere pushes against the planet’s mountains, it can change how quickly Venus spins.
Researchers used a computer to simulate the movements of that thick atmosphere. It whips around at 100 meters per second (around 224 miles per hour). Those winds exert enough push against mountains on one side of the planet and suction on the other side to alter the speed of the planet’s rotation. The thick atmosphere increases the rotation rate by up to about two minutes each day. Each Venus day, that is. And each day on this planet is 243 times longer than one on Earth.
All the precise measurements of the rotational period (day length) on Venus have varied by up to seven minutes. This error might be explained by the push and pull of the air over the planet’s mountains.
But scientists think there is some kind of other force that slowing the planet’s spin. Because planet’s spin isn’t accelerating in the rate it supposes to be. Researchers suspect it could be the sun’s gravitational influence.
The researchers reported their calculation in the July issue of Nature Geoscience.
Also Read:- Terraforming Venus and Mars with Sun-Shields & Nukes. Crazy Right?
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