Comments on: Keep hope alive

By: Tim811

Tim811 — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:40:23 +0000

There’s a great retro-pulp scifi novel on the topic of an inhabitable Venus that came out not that long ago.

It’s titled “The Sky People” by S.M. Stirling

By: pete j

pete j — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:23:15 +0000

The following text by Russian astronomer G.A. Tikhoff, 1955 is also included in the above-mentioned book (it is one book which I find I return to very often):

“Now already we can say a few things about the vegetation of Venus. Owing to the high temperature on this planet, the plants must reflect all the heat rays, of which those visible to the eye are the rays from red to green inclusive. This gives the plants a yellow hue. In addition, the plants must radiate red rays. With the yellow, this gives them an orange color. Our conclusions concerning the color of vegetation on Venus find certain confirmation in the observation… that in those parts of Venus where the Sun’s rays possibly penetrate the clouds to be reflected by the planet’s surface, there is a surplus of yellow and red rays.”

By: pete j

pete j — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:48:21 +0000

I’ve often wondered how the Solar System would have looked had Venus and Mars have been ‘swapped’ right at the beginning and allowed to go on their evolutionary paths. Obviously this is pure speculation on my part. The ‘new’ second planet would have been even less able to hold onto an atmosphere in the increased thermal environment. However, the ‘new’ more massive fourth planet would have had a far better chance at holding down an atmosphere and developing. So then, result: two inner airless terrestrials, the Earth followed by a more massive colder version of Earth?

I’m sure such systems exist out there…

By: andy

andy — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:56:48 +0000

The question is whether there would be much water in the mantle, if you form the planets from material located much closer to the star than the HZ…

By: Lab Lemming

Lab Lemming — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:05:22 +0000

The water can outgas from the mantle, just like it does on Earth…

By: andy

andy — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:51:28 +0000

As for Alpha Centauri planets, have any simulations been done of planet formation taking into account delivery of water? If planets can only form in the inner region, then subsequently migrate out to the habitable zone, won’t they likely end up very dry?

By: Twitted by cachestarhouse

Twitted by cachestarhouse — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:47:49 +0000

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By: andy

andy — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:32:30 +0000

Then again, if we are prepared to relax the requirement that the habitable regions of the planet must coincide with the surface of the planet, Venus does have a potentially habitable region 50km up in the atmosphere. It’s a region that probably should be explored better, e.g. by balloon probes, which if nothing else would be a useful test for balloon missions to Titan. Enough with the Mars missions already!

By: Twitted by jorgecandeias

Twitted by jorgecandeias — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 22:51:23 +0000

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