Venus may have swallowed its own moon

Scientists have puzzled for years over why Venus, despite being similar to Earth in size, mass, and overall structure, has no moon. New research from UC Riverside suggests a striking possibility: Venus may once have had a moon, only to eventually pull it back into the planet.

Previous explanations generally focused on two possibilities. One suggested that Venus once had a moon that was later destroyed by a massive impact. Another proposed that Venus simply never experienced the kind of collision that could have created a moon in the first place.

A new study published in The Astrophysical Journal offers a different explanation. According to the research, Venus may not have needed a dramatic external event to lose a moon.