All articles tagged with #magellan mission
New analysis of data from NASA's Magellan mission has revealed two more active volcanoes on Venus, indicating the planet may be more volcanically active than previously thought. This discovery, based on changes in radar backscatter data from the 1990s, supports earlier findings of volcanic activity and highlights the importance of upcoming missions like VERITAS in understanding Venus' geological processes.
Recent analysis of NASA's Magellan mission data has revealed two volcanic eruptions on Venus in the early 1990s, adding to the 2023 discovery of another active volcano. This suggests Venus is more volcanically active than previously thought. The findings, published in Nature Astronomy, highlight the potential for future missions like NASA's VERITAS to further explore Venus' geological activity.
Fresh analysis of 30-year-old radar images from NASA's Magellan spacecraft reveals new lava flows on Venus, indicating active volcanism between 1990 and 1992. This discovery, supported by recent technological advancements, suggests that Venus' volcanic activity is more widespread and comparable to Earth's. The findings enhance our understanding of Venus' geological processes and its similarities to Earth, as NASA prepares for the VERITAS mission to further explore the planet.
A new map created from radar imagery collected during Nasa’s Magellan mission in the 1990s has catalogued more than 85,000 volcanoes on Venus, 99% of which are less than 5km in diameter. The data, which is publicly available, will help scientists better understand the inner workings of the planet and where to search for evidence of recent geological activity. The researchers hope to learn more about magma availability and eruption rates on Venus, as volcanoes in the 20km- to 100km-diameter range are relatively scarce.
A new map of Venus reveals that there could be at least 85,000 volcanoes covering the surface of the planet, many of which were previously unknown. Scientists had believed that Venus was a geologically dead planet, but recent discoveries have shown evidence of recent volcanic activity and a thinner, more "squishy" outer crust. The new map is the most comprehensive ever compiled and could be used to predict future eruptions and learn more about the planet's volcanic past and present. Future missions to Venus could provide new high-resolution images to help find potential hidden mini-volcanoes.
New research provides strong evidence of volcanic activity on Venus, Earth’s sister planet, which was previously thought to be geologically dead. The study identified a nearly 1-square-mile volcanic vent that changed shape and grew over eight months in 1991, indicating volcanic activity. Venus, although similar to Earth in size and mass, differs markedly in that it does not have plate tectonics. The surface of Venus is geologically young, especially compared to all the other rocky bodies except Earth and Jupiter’s moon Io. This research adds Venus to the small pool of volcanically active bodies in our solar system.
Planetary scientists from Washington University in St. Louis have created a comprehensive map of all 85,000 volcanic edifices on Venus using radar imagery from NASA's Magellan mission. The database contains 99% of volcanoes less than 3 miles in diameter, and the study includes detailed analyses of where volcanoes are, where and how they're clustered, and how their spatial distributions compare with geophysical properties of the planet such as crustal thickness. The new dataset is publicly available for other scientists to use, and future missions to Venus in the 2030s will acquire higher resolution data to search for smaller volcanoes.
Scientists have discovered direct geological evidence of recent volcanic activity on Venus, making it only the third known body in the Solar System with active magma volcanoes. The discovery challenges the long-standing view that Venus is lifeless and geologically dead. The research was based on archival radar images taken by NASA's Magellan mission more than 30 years ago, which revealed a volcanic vent changing shape and increasing significantly in size in less than a year. Three new Venus missions are due to launch in the next decade, which are expected to provide sharper radar vision and more information about Venus' geologic activity.
NASA scientists have discovered direct evidence of active volcanism on Venus for the first time ever by examining radar images taken more than 30 years ago by NASA's Magellan mission. The images revealed a volcanic vent changing shape and increasing in size over the period of less than a year. The discovery was made by a research professor who led the search of the archival data. The VERITAS mission will launch within a decade, sending an orbiter to study Venus from surface to core.
Planetary scientists have discovered evidence of recent volcanic activity on Venus, thanks to archives from NASA's Magellan mission. The discovery was inspired by NASA's upcoming mission to Venus, VERITAS, which will scan the planet from surface to core. The analysis of the archives has detected a volcanic vent swelling with lava in the Atla Regio region, near the planet's equator. The discovery confirms that there is modern geological activity on Venus and gives scientists a taste of the discoveries that VERITAS will likely reveal.
Direct geological evidence of recent volcanic activity has been observed on the surface of Venus for the first time, after scientists studied archival radar images taken by NASA's Magellan mission in the 1990s. The discovery of a volcanic vent changing shape and increasing significantly in size in less than a year sets the stage for NASA's VERITAS mission to investigate Venus from surface to core to understand how a rocky planet about the same size as Earth took a very different path, developing into a world covered in volcanic plains and deformed terrain hidden beneath a thick, hot, toxic atmosphere.