In 2007 Japan plans to launch a space probe to Venus. This spacecraft will be the first of its kind. It will be unmanned, and is predicted to start orbiting Venus in 2009. Japan will be the third country to send a probe to Venus, following the United States and former Soviet Union. The Japanese trip to the planet will be different, because its primary focus will be on the carbon dioxide rich atmosphere.

The Japanese probe will be equipped with an infrared camera to aid in the investigation of the atmosphere. Scientists are hoping that the pictures will help them understand the three dimensional structure of the atmosphere.

They are also planning to explore the rapid rotation of the atmosphere on Venus. Venus rotates every 243 days. Though Venus’s atmosphere rotates in the same direction as the planet it is said to do so at a speed 60 times faster than the planet.

The probe will also explore the possibility of active volcanoes on Venus.

There are many reasons why probing the mysterious environment of Venus is important. Venus is the closest planet to Earth and in many ways the two planets are very similar. It is similar in size and mass. Many fear that Earth will become a planet like Venus if global warming continues. It is hoped that by researching the evolution of the atmosphere of Venus we might be able to use that information to predict what will be in store for Earth.

Despite their similarities Venus and Earth are very different. For example, the atmosphere of Venus is 90 times denser than that of Earth’s. Also, Venus’ atmosphere is carbon dioxide rich and because of global warming has an average temperature of almost 900 degrees Fahrenheit.

Strangely, though Venus is closer in distance to the Sun, it absorbs less solar heat than Earth does. Venus orbits closer in proximity to the Sun than Earth does, it is considered just beyond the habitable zone. The habitable zone is defined as the distance from the Sun where liquid water can exist. Scientists are hoping that Japan’s mission to Venus will help them determine where the most inner edge of the habitable zone lies. Studying the climate of Venus may also help determine the future habitability of Earth.

The surfaces of Earth and Venus are also very different. Venus has huge smooth plains and a dense layer of sulfur rich clouds produced from volcanic activity on the planet.

Venus’ weather is also quite different from Earth’s. There are hurricane force winds that can sweep over the entire surface of the planet in just four days.

In order to understand what is happening on Earth and predict what should be expected in the future, it is vital that he explore the neighbor planet which has already made the transition that seems likely to be in store for Earth. By studying Venus, hopefully one will have a better understanding of the greenhouse effect and be able to plan accordingly. It is anticipated that Japan’s mission to Venus will be able to help answer some of the more puzzling questions surrounding the planet and its atmosphere. And with any luck we will be able to predict to what extent the Earth is going to move to be more like Venus.

Japan is not the only country interested in unraveling the mystery of Venus. Japan’s mission to Venus has been in the shadows of a more widely publicized European mission known as the Venus Express, which launched in 2005. And though there are no firm plans for an American mission, NASA discussed sending a robot in 2007 to collect surface samples to study.

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