The Changing Face of Venus

1982-02-07

Venus has always been a planet of surprises, and very recently the Pioneer spacecraft orbiting the planet have provided some more. There is evidence of current active volcanoes, very similar to those on Earth, and it seems that in the distant past (when the Sun was cooler than at present) Venus may have sustained life, only for it to be destroyed as the Sun grew hotter, changing the 'Planet of Love' into an inferno. Patrick Moore discusses how our knowledge of Venus has changed in view of these exciting new discoveries.