The Venus

In the center of Solar system there is our day time star - the Sun. Around of it together with the satellites 9 major planets address: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jove, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

The age of Solar system has been determined by scientists on the basis of the laboratory isotope analysis of terrestrial rocky breeds, and also meteors and delivered to the Earth space vehicles of samples of a lunar Earth. Appeared, that oldest of them have age about 4,5 billion years. Therefore it is considered, that all planets were generated approximately during one time - 4,5 - 5 billion years ago.

Venus, the second on affinity to the Sun a planet, almost same size, as the Earth, and its weight more than 80 % of terrestrial weight. Located closer to the Sun, than our planet, Venus receives from it in two with superfluous time of more light and heat, than the Earth. Nevertheless from the shadow side on Venus the frost more than 20 degrees below zero as solar beams in current of very long time here do not get dominates. It has very dense, deep and very cloudy atmosphere which is not allowing us to see a surface of a planet. The atmosphere - a gas environment, on Venus, was opened by M.V.Lomonosov, in 1761, that as has shown similarity of Venus to the Earth.

Average distance from Venus up to the Sun 108,2 million in km; it is practically constant, as the orbit of Venus is closer to a circle, than at any other planet. From time to time Venus approaches to the Earth on distance, smaller 40 million in km.

Ancient Greeks named this planet of the best goddess of the Aphrodite, Romans have then altered on - to the and have named a planet Venus, that, in general, same. However there was it not at once. One time was considered, that in the sky is at once two planets. More truly then still stars, one - it is dazzling bright, another was visible in the morning, same - in the evening. Them even named on - to miscellaneous while haldey astronomers after long supervision and longer reflections did not come to a conclusion, that the star is only one, that honours them as to the big experts.

Light of Venus is so bright, that if in the sky there is no neither the Sun, nor a Moon, it forces subjects to reject shadows. However at a sight in a telescope, Venus disappoints, and it is not surprising, that till last years it counted "a planet of secrets".

In 1930 about Venus some information has appeared. It has been established, that its atmosphere will consist, basically, from carbonic gas which is capable to operate as some kind of a coverlet, detaining solar heat. Two pictures of a planet were popular. One drew a surface of Venus almost completely covered water in which primitive forms of a life could develop, - as it was on the Earth billions years ago. Another represented Venus as the heated, dry and dusty desert.

Ayr automatic space probes began in 1962 when the American device " Mariner - 2 " has passed near to Venus and has transferred the information which has confirmed, that its surface is very hot. It has been established also, that the period of rotation of Venus around of an axis - long, about 243 terrestrial day, - is more, than a cycle time around of the Sun (224,7 day), therefore on Venus "day" is longer than year and the calendar is completely unusual.

Now it is known, that Venus rotates in the opposite direction - from the east on the West, instead of from the West on the east, as the Earth and the majority of other planets. For the observer on a surface of Venus the Sun ascends in the West, and comes in the east though actually the cloudy atmosphere completely closes the sky.

After " Mariner - 2 " soft landing to a surface of Venus of the several Soviet automatic devices lowered on a parachute through a dense atmosphere has been carried out. Thus the maximal temperature about 530C, and pressure at a surface almost in 100 times the greater, than atmospheric pressure upon a sea level on the Earth has been registered.

" Mariner - 10 " has come nearer to Venus in February, 1974 and has transferred the first pictures of the top layer of clouds. This device has only once passed about Venus - its basic purpose was the most internal planet - Mercury. However pictures were high quality and have shown striped structure of clouds. They also have confirmed, that the period of rotation of the top layer of clouds only 4 day, so a structure of an atmosphere of Venus not similar on terrestrial.

In the meantime the American radar-tracking researches have shown, that on a surface of Venus there are big on the size, but fine craters. The origin of craters is not known, but as in such dense atmosphere there should be a strong erosion, under "geological" standards they hardly can be very old. The reason of occurrence of craters can be volcanic activity, therefore a hypothesis that on Venus there are volcanic processes while it is impossible to exclude. Also on Venus mountain areas are found some. The biggest mountain area - Ishtar - on the area twice exceeds Tibet. In its center on height of 11 km the huge volcanic cone rises. It was revealed, that clouds contain a plenty of a sulfuric acid (probably, even a fluorine-sulfuric acid).

The following important step has been made in October, 1975 when two Soviet devices - " Venus - 9 " and " Venus - 10 " - have made controlled landing to a surface of a planet and have transferred to the Earth pictures. Pictures have been relayed by the orbital compartments of stations remaining in a near-the-planet orbit at height about 1500 km. It was triumph of the Soviet scientists, even in spite of the fact that and " Venus - 9 " and " Venus - 10 " conducted transfers only no more than hour, have not ceased to operate once and for all yet from - for too high temperatures and pressure.

Appeared, that the surface of Venus was rich by smooth rocky fragments, on structure similar to terrestrial basalts, many of which had about 1 m in a diameter. The surface has been well covered: under the description of the Soviet scientists, light was so much, how many it happens in Moscow in cloudy summer midday so projectors of devices at all were not required. Appeared besides, that the atmosphere does not possess excessively high refracting properties, predictably and all details of a landscape were precise. The temperature on a surface of Venus was equaled 485C, and pressure in 90 times exceeded pressure at a surface of the Earth. It was revealed, besides that the layer of clouds comes to an end at height about 30 km. There is an area of a hot caustic fog below. At heights 50 - 70 km settle down powerful cloudy layers and gale-force winds blow. At a surface of Venus an atmosphere very dense (only in 10 times there is less than density of water).

Venus completely not hospitable world as it when - that was supposed. With the atmosphere from carbonic gas, clouds from a sulfuric acid and terrible heat it is absolutely not suitable for the person. Under weight of this information some hopes have failed: in fact less than 20 years back many scientists counted Venus more promising object for space researches, than Mars.

Venus always drew to itself sights of science fiction writers, poets, scientific. About it wrote much and, probably, still much will write and it is possible even, that sometime the part of its secrets will open to the person.