microrobert
02-15-2012, 05:03 AM
Venus Spinning Slower Than Thought—Scientists Stumped
Mysterious decrease could affect future exploration missions.
http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/487/cache/venus-rotation-slowing_48703_600x450.jpg
Planet lovers take note: Venus is spinning even slower than astronomers thought, according to new data from a European space probe.
In the early 1990s scientists with NASA's Magellan mission calculated that a single rotation of Venus takes 243.015 Earth days, based on the speed of surface features passing beneath the orbiting spacecraft.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/02/120214-venus-planets-slower-spin-esa-space-science/
Mysterious decrease could affect future exploration missions.
http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/487/cache/venus-rotation-slowing_48703_600x450.jpg
Planet lovers take note: Venus is spinning even slower than astronomers thought, according to new data from a European space probe.
In the early 1990s scientists with NASA's Magellan mission calculated that a single rotation of Venus takes 243.015 Earth days, based on the speed of surface features passing beneath the orbiting spacecraft.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/02/120214-venus-planets-slower-spin-esa-space-science/