Scientists have been able to account for a lot of the water Venus lost in this time — but not all of it. The planet’s surface is hotter than water’s boiling point, simmering at 450 degrees C. So water can only exist as vapor in Venus’ atmosphere. Specifically, the researchers found HCO+ DR could have doubled the rate at which Venus lost water by hydrogen escape. This is because, as a non-thermal process, the HCO+ DR reaction would’ve gone on indefinitely and drained all the water. She referred to NASA’s MAVEN mission to Mars as an example of a mission dedicated to probing the upper atmosphere.

Source: The Hindu May 21, 2024 21:51 UTC