Smithsonian Magazine · People & society

Venus May Have Once Had a Moon, Only to Consume It, Study Suggests

Venus, often called Earth's twin, lacks a moon, unlike our planet. Scientists theorize Venus may have once possessed a moon, but a new study proposes the planet might have absorbed it.

Researchers suggest that if Venus ever had a moon, its slow rotation and gravity would have pulled the moon inward, causing it to crash into the planet relatively quickly. Computer simulations modeling planetary interactions supported this hypothesis, with most scenarios showing a moon colliding with Venus.

The simulations indicated that more massive moons would have been consumed faster. While a less massive moon could have survived if Venus spun faster (with a day shorter than 12 hours), these conditions are not thought to match early Venus.

The study does not prove Venus had a moon, but suggests any moon would not have lasted long. Verifying this is difficult due to Venus's volcanic surface activity erasing evidence.

However, indirect evidence might be found in chemical traces on the surface or in the atmosphere from a smashed moon, or potentially in subsurface structures detectable through seismic studies, similar to findings on Earth.

The potential destruction of a moon could be linked to Venus's runaway greenhouse effect. If a large moon once existed, its gravitational influence might have aided habitability, but its destruction could have evaporated water and intensified warming.

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