Venus Had a Moon for Nearly 2 Billion Years, Scientists Say
- On September 2, 2026, researchers from the University of California, Riverside, and CNRS in France reported that Venus likely possessed a moon billions of years ago, which the planet eventually consumed due to its gravity.
- Venus rotates slowly, taking 243 days for one spin, which causes the planet's gravity to pull any orbiting moon inward; unlike Earth, where faster rotation pushes the moon away over time.
- Astrophysicist Stephen Kane's models indicate a moon could have lasted nearly 2 billion years before reaching the Roche limit, about 9,321 miles above the planet, where Venus's gravity ripped the satellite apart.
- The planet's gravity and slow spin naturally caused the moon to collapse, a process Kane said 'didn't require a catastrophe to arrive at what we can see today.'
- These findings suggest that slowly rotating planets in other systems are unlikely to retain large satellites, which could influence their obliquity stability and potential long-term habitability.
29 Articles
29 Articles
New Study Explains Why Venus Has No Moon
Dr. Stephen Kane from the University of California, Riverside and colleagues offer a tidy explanation for one of the Solar System’s enduring puzzles: why Venus, so similar to Earth in size and mass, has no moon at all. The post New Study Explains Why Venus Has No Moon appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.
Venus may once have had a moon, but new simulations show that as the planet’s rotation slowed, tidal forces could have dragged the satellite inside the Roche limit and destroyed it—in some scenarios within just 30 million years.
A new tidal-evolution study finds that an early Venusian moon could first move outward, then reverse as Venus slowed, although its fate depends strongly on the tidal model.
Venus had a moon for nearly 2 billion years, scientists say
Venus had a moon a long time ago, scientists in the US and France say. It likely survived for nearly 2 billion years until Venus' gravity tore it apart. The post Venus had a moon for nearly 2 billion years, scientists say first appeared on EarthSky.
New Research Explains Why Venus's Moon May Have Crashed Into It
New research suggests that Venus's slow spin rate and strong gravity likely caused any hypothetical moon it once had to crash into the planet. This study, led by astrophysicist Stephen Kane, models planetary interactions and indicates that Venus did not require a catastrophic event to lose a moon, but rather its inherent physical properties led to its absorption. This finding has implications for understanding moon retention in other slowly rota…
Venus ate its own moon and didn't even burp. We now know why Earth's twin is moonless
A new study suggests Venus's slow spin may have pulled a former moon into the planet. The finding offers a fresh explanation for why Earth's twin is moonless and where clues may still lie.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 38% of the sources lean Left, 37% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
