Venus May Have Devoured Its Moon
A new study from the University of California, Riverside, proposes that Venus's moon was not destroyed by a collision but was slowly pulled in and fragmented by the planet's gravity and unusually slow rotation. Computer models simulating gravitational interactions support this hypothesis, suggesting Venus's unique rotation played a key role in its moon's demise.
Why it matters
This research offers a novel explanation for the absence of a moon around Venus, challenging previous theories and enhancing our understanding of planetary dynamics and satellite evolution in the solar system.
One previously presented hypothesis is that Venus’ moon was destroyed by a collision with some massive celestial body. But a recent study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, suggests a different course of events. It posits that instead of being obliterated by some catastrophic external force, the moon was slowly pulled in by Venus’ gravity and plodding rotation until it fragmented and was completely swallowed.
“Venus didn’t require a catastrophe to arrive at what we can see today,” Steven Kane, an astrophysicist and the paper’s lead author, explained in a press release. “It turns out the gravity of the planet itself combined with the rate at which it spins naturally caused the moon to collapse on top of it.”
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in