Scientists reveal why Venus is losing Water! So, will it soon lose all of its water?

Water is the life-procreating molecule on planet Earth and the same water has been assumed to exist on the sister planet, Venus. Earth and Venus are not only approximately the same size; they are thought to have formed about the same time as well. Astronomers also believe that both planets began around the same time with precious amounts of liquid – the life giving water!

However, today scientists believe that the proportion of water on each planet is extremely different. We know that Earth primarily constitutes of water. It is estimated that Earth’s atmosphere and oceans together contain 100,000 times the total amount of water on Venus. What happened to all the water on Venus then?

“Venus Express has made the first detection of an atmospheric loss process on Venus's day-side. Last year, the spacecraft revealed that most of the lost atmosphere escapes from the night-side. Together, these discoveries bring planetary scientists closer to understanding what happened to the water on Venus, which is suspected to have once been as abundant as on Earth.” - ScienceDaily (Dec. 19, 2008)

Venus Delva and collogues have found that “some 2x1024 hydrogen nuclei, a constituent atom of the water molecule, were being lost every second from Venus’ day-side.” The Analyzer of Space Plasma and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA) on board Venus Express showed last year that a great loss of hydrogen and oxygen occurs on the night-side of the planet. The count revealed roughly twice as many hydrogen atoms as oxygen atoms escaping the atmosphere.

Universally known, water’s composition is two atoms of hydrogen with one atom of oxygen (H2O) so the observed escape is considered as water loss from Venus which is broken up into hydrogen and oxygen atoms in the atmosphere of Venus.

The Sun not only emits light and heat but it also constantly spews out solar winds that blows past all the planets. This solar wind carries electrical and magnetic field. Our Earth has a significant magnetic field which protects it from this solar wind but unlike Earth, Venus does not have its own magnetic field. The result is that these solar winds take with it the water molecules while striking the surface of Venus.

It is believed by planetary scientists that the planet lost major part of its water in this way over the four-and-a-half-thousand million years since the Venus’ birth. The discovery also highlights a new mystery. Results show twice as many hydrogen atoms in the upper atmosphere of Venus than earlier thought. Also the source of these hydrogen ions is still unknown. “So reflecting true lady like characteristics, our dear Venus retains its mysterious yet magnificent planet-ality (personality)!"