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ESA’s Venus Express has made unique observations of Venus during a period of reduced solar wind pressure, discovering that the planet’s ionosphere balloons out like a comet’s tail on its nightside.
As this significantly reduced solar wind hit Venus, Venus Express saw the planet’s ionosphere balloon outwards on the planet’s ‘downwind’ nightside, much like the shape of the ion tail seen streaming from a comet under similar conditions.
“The teardrop-shaped ionosphere began forming within 30–60 minutes after the normal high pressure solar wind diminished. Over two Earth days, it had stretched to at least two Venus radii into space,”
“We now finally know that the first effect outweighs the second, and that the ionosphere expands significantly during low solar wind density conditions,”
A similar effect is also expected to occur around Mars, the other non-magnetised planet in our inner Solar System.
“We often talk about the effects of solar wind interaction with planetary atmospheres during periods of intense solar activity, but Venus Express has shown us that even when there is a reduced solar wind, the Sun can still significantly influence the environment of our planetary neighbours,” adds Håkan Svedhem, ESA’s Venus Express project scientist.
In June, 1996, Venus passed through a very close inferior conjunction with the Sun. At that time the CTOF detector of the CELIAS mass spectrometer experiment on the SOHO spacecraft near Earth's L1 Lagrangian point was measuring heavy ions in the solar wind ∼4.5 × 107 km downstream of Venus.
Close to the time predicted by simple geometric arguments for passage of SOHO through the Venus wake, CTOF made three encounters with unusual fluxes of O+ and C+ ions. Their energy distributions resembled those of tail rays originating in the Venus ionosphere or ionopause region rather than of ions produced in the corona of neutral atoms that surrounds the planet.
Originally posted by 3n19m470
Wow that's crazy! I wonder how big it can grow. Man, what will happen if the earth passes through venus' ionotail? Does this have much effect on the rest of Venus' atmosphere? Other than the fact that planets can grow tails, I wonder what, if anything, we can learn about Venus. With the ionospbere in this extended state, can this allow us to see other atmospheric layers better? Or maybe even see the ground? Interesting, either way. Thanks for sharing.
Originally posted by 3n19m470
Wow that's crazy! I wonder how big it can grow. Man, what will happen if the earth passes through venus' ionotail? Does this have much effect on the rest of Venus' atmosphere? Other than the fact that planets can grow tails, I wonder what, if anything, we can learn about Venus. With the ionospbere in this extended state, can this allow us to see other atmospheric layers better? Or maybe even see the ground? Interesting, either way. Thanks for sharing.
As this significantly reduced solar wind hit Venus, Venus Express saw the planet’s ionosphere balloon outwards on the planet’s ‘downwind’ nightside, much like the shape of the ion tail seen streaming from a comet under similar conditions.
Over two Earth days, it had stretched to at least two Venus radii into space
The ionosphere is a region of weakly electrically charged gas high above the main body of a planet’s atmosphere. Its shape and density are partly controlled by the internal magnetic field of the planet.
For Earth, which has a strong magnetic field, the ionosphere is relatively stable under a range of solar wind conditions. By comparison, Venus does not have its own internal magnetic field and relies instead on interactions with the solar wind to shape its ionosphere.
A similar effect is also expected to occur around Mars, the other non-magnetised planet in our inner Solar System.
On a general note, shaping scientific theories on what the ancients may or may not have said is not good science.
The point here is that it now has been proven that Venus has a tail much like that of comets. Not long ago this was thought to not be true by our scientific community. Venus does have a tail, made up of ions, that has been detected to nearly touch the Earth during solar transit. That is a distance of around 25 million miles. This evidence appears to favor Velikovsky’s theory.
So when the solar wind makes the venusian ionosphere shaped like a comet's tail, it doesn't mean that Venus used to be a comet.
Just because this is the case now does not mean it always has been. There are several known facts about Venus that indicate this planet recently went through a catastrophic event. Thick atmosphere yet no magnetosphere protecting it, fairly recent global resurfacing and its rotational characteristics (Venus is actually upside down).
You can't even see ionosphere like you can see the tail.
Define “shaping”. To base scientific theories on ancient myths is not good science but to simply dismiss these myths outright is equally as ignorant. Ancient peoples the world over described Venus as behaving like a comet that affected Earth several times at predictable intervals.
On a general note, shaping scientific theories on what the ancients may or may not have said is not good science.
Originally posted by Devino
Ancient peoples the world over described Venus as behaving like a comet that affected Earth several times at predictable intervals.
Source;The Many Faces of Venus
I want to address my greeting, to her who fills the sky with her pure blaze, to the luminous one, to Inanna, as bright as the sun, to the great queen of heaven
Wiki Source
[Quetzalcoatl] is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and has the meaning of "feathered serpent"
Source
From an ideological standpoint, Quetzalcoatl the god was seen as the Lord of the Morning Star. Quetzalcoatl was also strongly associated with the planet Venus
This evidence appears to favor Velikovsky’s theory.
Well yes, that is the theory. That is also what the myths from many ancient cultures around the world seem to claim to have happened.
Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by Devino
This evidence appears to favor Velikovsky’s theory.
Really?
You mean the "theory" that says Venus originated from Jupiter 3,500 years ago and went careening through the solar system on its way to its current orbit,
It proves that Venus has a tail much like a comet. As I pointed out it was not long ago that this idea was dismissed by astronomers. The fact is that Venus has a tail, like that of comets, which appears to favor the theory that Venus acts and perhaps looked like a comet, hence Velikovsky's theory.
Please explain how the current discovery favors this.
I can’t. Venus did not defy any rules of orbital mechanics as far as I know. If Venus did act as the myths claim it did, i.e. “careening through the solar system on its way to its current orbit”, it would have to follow these rules.
Please explain how this current discovery accounts for Venus completely defying the rules of orbital mechanics.
Well that and the coma.
The tail is pretty much the most attention getting thing about it.
As far as these myths are concerned they are up to interpretation. I am not claiming these as facts nor evidence and I would not expect you to take interest in them beyond ridicule.
I see nothing in those descriptions of anything resembling a comet.
Originally posted by Devino
reply to post by wildespace
Here are a few quick links with descriptions.
Sumerian Inanna...
Source;The Many Faces of Venus
I want to address my greeting, to her who fills the sky with her pure blaze, to the luminous one, to Inanna, as bright as the sun, to the great queen of heaven
The Planet Venus in Ancient Myth and Religion
Originally posted by DevinoMesoamerican Quetzalcoatl...
Wiki Source
[Quetzalcoatl] is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and has the meaning of "feathered serpent"
Quetzalcoatl as the planet Venus...
Source
From an ideological standpoint, Quetzalcoatl the god was seen as the Lord of the Morning Star. Quetzalcoatl was also strongly associated with the planet Venus