Why is it in the News?

After analysing the archived data from the space agency’s Magellan mission, scientists suggest that Venus, the almost Earth-sized planet was volcanically active between 1990 and 1992.

What is the Magellan Mission?

• NASA's Magellan mission to Venus was one of the most successful deep space missions launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the year 1989.
• It was the first spacecraft to image the entire surface of Venus and made several discoveries about the planet.
• Magellan burned up about 10 hours after being commanded to plunge into the Venusian atmosphere.
• Magellan's primary mission was to use a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to create detailed maps of the surface of Venus.
  • The SAR allowed Magellan to penetrate a thick cloud layer which made it challenging to study Venus from Earth.
• By mapping the planet's surface, scientists aimed to investigate the planet's geology and landforms, including its vast plains, steep mountains, and impact craters.
• Magellan was also sent to measure the planet's gravity and magnetic fields.
• This information was considered important to NASA scientists as it would provide more information about the planet's interior structure and composition.
• Because Venus is a planet close to Earth that compares in size and composition, mapping and studying Venus was considered an important mission as it added to understanding the evolution and geology of rocky planets like Earth.

What is the Magellan Spacecraft?

• The Magellan spacecraft was a space probe launched into space on May 4, 1989, by NASA on the Space Shuttle Atlantis.
• NASA named Magellan after the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who was the first documented person to circumnavigate the Earth.
• The Magellan probe aimed to map the planet Venus and collect data about its atmosphere and physical characteristics.
• Venus is the second planet from the sun in the Milky Way solar system and is, along with Mercury, one of two planets that orbit between Earth and the sun.
• Known for being the first spacecraft to map the surface of Venus, Magellan remained in Venus' orbit for four years before being burned up in its atmosphere in October 1994.

What does the study reveal?

• The study identified a 2.2 square kilometre volcanic vent associated with Maat Mons, the second-highest volcano on Venus, located in the Atla Regio near the planet's equator.
• The vent showed signs of drained lava, and the radar images indicated that it had doubled in size over eight months, with the lava lake seeming to have reached the rim. These changes suggested that the vent had been actively erupting and spewing lava.

This discovery provides new insights into the geology and activity of Venus and highlights the importance of studying the planet's surface features to better understand its history and evolution.