Why does Venus rotate in the wrong direction?

Venus has a unique rotation in our solar system: The planet rotates in the opposite direction, so sunrise will occur in the west if you are on the surface.

The sun rises in the west

It remains unclear why this is the case. Given the available knowledge about planetary formation, the only thing that is clear is that there was almost certainly an external influence that changed the direction of rotation. Researchers it is now He succeededUsing a series of computer simulations to find out the possible cause.

The focus of the research was to verify the hypothesis of the moon's influence on this strange phenomenon. Their findings suggest that the gravitational force of a backward-orbiting companion could be responsible for Venus' apparent retrograde rotation. The big question then will be where this moon disappeared, because unlike most other planets, Venus travels alone.

The published study now provides insight into the complex dynamics of the early solar system, characterized by the chaotic, high-speed motions of celestial bodies. At this point, the pool of matter that formed Venus may have captured a moon that entered an orbit from which it could reverse its normal direction of motion.

Collecting evidence is difficult

But it's also possible that a larger body collided with early Venus, causing a similar change in angular momentum. This collision with Earth led to the formation of our Moon. However, it may also have happened on other planets that all the fragments gradually fell back.

Although simulations can produce possible scenarios, they cannot provide evidence. To do this, it will be necessary to conduct more in-depth investigations on Venus itself – which is particularly difficult on the inhospitable surface. Meanwhile, signs of a collision from a very long time ago were found on Earth.

See also: