Venus and lightening - Venus and theory of it's storms

Ian · 2003-09-17 11:50:10

I think that the huge amounts of lightening in Venus' atmosphere are there because of the high amounts of sulfuric acid in the clouds and that chemical is what goes into batteries, so there could be a whole lot of nickle and iron on the surface because when you use a lemon battery, you use those metals to generate an electric current to get it to flow through the curcit. Acid is also in lemons and that can produce an electric current that flows through the wires of a homemade battery. Does any of this make sense?

Palomar · 2003-09-17 15:34:07

I think that the huge amounts of lightening in Venus' atmosphere are there because of the high amounts of sulfuric acid in the clouds

*Hi Ian. I admit I haven't been following news stories about Venus as closely as some of the other planets and moons in our solar system.

I'm afraid I'm not overly aware of lightning storms on Venus. Could you refer us to an article or two concerning this? I read at a variety of astronomical news sources every day; perhaps I'm missing something.

It'd be appreciated. You've definitely piqued my curiosity.

--Cindy

Shaun Barrett · 2003-09-17 19:18:44

Hi Ian!
Are you sure you're not thinking of Jupiter? I believe the Jovian atmosphere is constantly wracked with lightning discharges but, in common with Cindy, I couldn't remember anyone saying the same about Venus.

A bit of research revealed this site, where the following salient points were expressed:-
1) " ... radio data gathered by the Cassini space probe has demonstrated the absence of terrestrial-like lightning on Venus."
2) "If lightning occurs at all on Venus, it must therefore be 100-1000 times weaker, rarer, or briefer than terrestrial lightning."

Apparently the jury is still out on whether cloud-to-cloud lightning discharges occur on Venus but it's thought cloud-to-ground lightning is inhibited by the "rapid horizontal circulation, or 'super-rotation' of the Venusian atmosphere."

It's not looking good for lightning bolts on Venus.

Free Spirit · 2003-09-17 19:46:43

Two of the Venera landers that the USSR sent to Venus were struck by lightning as they decended through Venus' atmosphere. We need to do a repeat of the Venera landings but only better. Those probes lasted about an hour before suffocating under the heat and pressure on Venus. I would love to see a full color panorama of Venus' landscape and cloud cover as opposed to the fish-eye view from the Veneras. Our sister planet gets entirely shafted in the exploration department. Even in this BBC article it mentions that there could be microbial life in Venus' atmosphere.

Shaun Barrett · 2003-09-17 20:30:55

Thanks Free Spirit!
I didn't realise those Soviet probes were struck by lightning. Very interesting.
I remember reading about those Venusian bugs, though, and it doesn't seem impossible to me that they could really be there. Something's got to be causing that chemical imbalance, against the natural energy equilibrium.
In addition, a recent report suggests Venus may have remained relatively cool and could have sustained oceans of liquid water for some billions of years after the planet formed. It could easily have developed its own life-forms in that length of time or, failing that, could have imported life from Mars and/or Earth via impact ejecta.

I have to say, I agree with you about exploration of Venus, much more so now than if you'd asked me last year. It's only a pity that it's such a hard place to investigate because of the appallingly hostile surface conditions.
It doesn't seem likely they'll be doing much science there in my lifetime.

But then, I could be wrong about that .. you never know!.

Ian · 2003-09-18 07:47:33

If there is organic matter in venus' atmosphere, than a space probe should be able to test for it or scan for it somehow when entering venus' atmosphere if one ever did go there. I think that the probe could also pick up lightening on it's radio antennas if they were made sensitive enough.

Free Spirit · 2003-09-19 01:31:34

In addition, a recent report suggests Venus may have remained relatively cool and could have sustained oceans of liquid water for some billions of years after the planet formed. It could easily have developed its own life-forms in that length of time or, failing that, could have imported life from Mars and/or Earth via impact ejecta.

It's time to break out the freon and send some brave rovers to scourage Venus in search of ancient oceans. Even though any surface evidence of oceans has probably long been eroded way or destroyed by the hellish conditions on Venus, perhaps deep cores could provide evidence? Could water still exist deep underground on Venus? If Venus could have held an ocean for billions of years I think that long after Mars and Europa disappoint us for having no life Venus might emerge as the triumphant under dog, at least in the fossil department.

If there is organic matter in venus' atmosphere, than a space probe should be able to test for it or scan for it somehow when entering venus' atmosphere if one ever did go there. I think that the probe could also pick up lightening on it's radio antennas if they were made sensitive enough.

It's a bit criminal that we don't send a big balloon to skim the fringes of Venus' atmosphere to collect data like that. We could send a whole armada of them to passively drift through the atmosphere and send findings back home. We've seen plenty of contests and promotions for designs of Mars missions, I'd like to see a contest that challenges someone to design a long-lived lander (lifespan of weeks or months) for Venus or small probes that just float through the atmosphere.

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#1 2003-09-17 11:50:10

Re: Venus and lightening - Venus and theory of it's storms

#2 2003-09-17 15:34:07

Re: Venus and lightening - Venus and theory of it's storms

#3 2003-09-17 19:18:44

Re: Venus and lightening - Venus and theory of it's storms

#4 2003-09-17 19:46:43

Re: Venus and lightening - Venus and theory of it's storms

#5 2003-09-17 20:30:55

Re: Venus and lightening - Venus and theory of it's storms

#6 2003-09-18 07:47:33

Re: Venus and lightening - Venus and theory of it's storms

#7 2003-09-19 01:31:34

Re: Venus and lightening - Venus and theory of it's storms

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