Probus Club of Meltham

Today’s speaker was Roy Gunson, to talk to us about “Venus; Earth’s evil twin”.
He began by describing Venus’s various positions in the sky at different times in the
calendar, and how the planet was looked on very differently by different cultures over the
ages.
Until modern spacecraft and instruments were used, very little was known about the
surface of the planet, except for those conjured up in the imaginations of various comic
editors, such as those in the Eagle, with which most members of the club were familiar.
It has been proved that the planet’s day is actually longer than its year, and that, compared
with other planets, including Earth, it’s orbit around the sun is reversed, so that the sun rises
in the west and sets in the east.
The surface of Venus is extremely hot, due to a number of factors;
1) Billions of years ago, the planet was hit by another huge body, possibly a dwarf
planet, which resulted in the surface being covered in thick silica layers.
2) This stopped any continental shift and movement of tectonic plates.
3) Any existing water in the planet’s core was either absorbed into the crust, or
dispersed into space by solar winds.
But, although the surface is too hot for humans, 50 km into the atmosphere temperatures
are much similar to those found on earth. Unfortunately, the thick clouds at this elevation
are composed of sulphuric acid! No life is therefore possible on the planet.
Observations made by various spacecraft show the surface to be mainly basilic plains,
though volcanos are found in abundance, but in totally random patters, unlike earth, where
volcanos occur over tectonic plate shifting points. Another indication that the interior of the
planet is immoveable!
Over the ages, civilizations on earth have looked suspiciously at Venus, given that it rotates
and moves almost in direct opposition to our own planet. Indeed some have observed that
plotting such movements indicates the pattern of a pentagon. Such a symbol in mythology
indicates the presence of evil, and the Romans thought of the planet as Lucifer!
Modern science can explain all these anomalies, but it is extremely unlikely, if not
impossible, that mankind will ever set foot on this fascinating but untouchable planet.