Study Proposes Venus Devoured Its Own Moon, With Implications for Habitability

Research published on September 14 in the Astrophysical Journal indicates that if Venus once possessed a moon, its gradual rotation and gravitational forces would have ultimately drawn it closer, leading to a collision. A simulation team, headed by Stephen Kane from the University of California, Riverside, discovered that most theoretical moons would end up crashing into Venus. A moon with a mass at least double that of Earth's moon could persist for a period ranging from 30 million to 1.7 billion years, whereas smaller moons would only survive if Venus had a rotation period shorter than 12 hours. Kane points out that volcanic activity has hidden evidence, but chemical signatures or seismic data might uncover traces. These results are significant for understanding Venus' potential for habitability and its current greenhouse conditions.