If Venus instead of Mars were occupying Mars's orbital position, what kind of world would Venus now be?

Answer 1

With out any other changes, probably the same.

Although the distance from the Sun is important weather wise, the internal planet dynamics are more influential.

Keep in mind that Venus takes 242 days to complete one rotation (day). It is postulated that this slow spin is the reason the planet doesn't have a magnetic field. The trick is to have a magnetic field strong enough to deflect the solar radiation.

Where ever Venus might be located, the trick is to make it spin, ideally as fast as the Earth. Assuming the core is still liquid, it would be possible to generate a magnetic field creating a shield to protect the atmosphere. As of now, the planet is been microwaved by the Sun radiation.

In addition, the slow rotation Venus now has could be the reason for its volcanic activity. The slower it spins the more pressure of the crust on its mantle. Like squeezing a sponge. In this case lava instead of water is squeezed out due to the pressure of the crust.

So making it spin faster will fix two problems at once. Ease the pressure on the mantle and start a dynamo. But it will take a big push to make that happen.

Earth had a fortuity collision with a protoplanet during its formation that created the Moon. During this collision both planets were destroyed. Earth captured the iron from the other planet and gained spin, while the ejecta cooled off and stayed in orbit becoming the Moon.

Now think this, what are the odds of this happening again to Venus or Mars. Notice that none of them have satellites like our Moon.

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Venus&Display=OverviewLong

http://www.solarviews.com/eng/venvolc.htm

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/moon_making_010815-1.html

Answer 2

Venus would be a lot more like Earth than it is now. Because it would have been further from the Sun than it is now, it would potentially not have experienced the runaway greenhouse effect that makes it hotter than Mercury, which is closer to the Sun. And because Venus is much more massive than Mars (very similar in mass to Earth, in fact), it would not have experienced the freezing of its core that caused Mars to lose its magnetic field, allowing the solar wind to destroy its atmosphere (which caused significant cooling due to reduced greenhouse effect). As a result, Venus would have had a more limited greenhouse effect, enabling it to retain more warmth than Mars does, and it would also be able to have an atmosphere, which Mars lacks.

Answer 3

Autoglide has a point.

Read the last paragraph of the first link. NASA article on Venus. Even though Venus core is as big as Earths, due to its slow rotation It can't develop a magnetic field. No magnetic field, no protection from the Suns radiation, resulting in a sterilized planet just like Mars.

The second link states that the entire planet has been resurfaced with basalt 300-500 millions years ago. I wonder if a collision like the one suggested for the formation of the Moon took place at an angle that would have stopped the planet rotation.

Interesting observations auto glide!

Answer 4

Venus could very well be a living vibrant world very similar to earth. Venus, even at its current location, is virtually identical to earth billions of years ago. The atmospheres of the two planets (and Mars) were identical in density and composition long ago. Only earth got cold enough for water to condense and that changed everything. As soon as liquid water began dissolving minerals in the earths crust CO2 began reacting with it to form carbonate rock. If Venus ever got cold enough for water to condense the same thing would happen. Had Venus formed at Mars orbit it would have happened for sure and Venus atmosphere would be mainly nitrogen gas at the same surface pressure as we have on earth. What else that Venusian atmosphere could be composed of is open for speculation but life probably form wherever it is possible. And Venus could very well be a livable planet with alot of its primordial water remaining had it just formed a little farther from the sun.

Venus slow rotation is most likely due to a massive impact long ago that also almost flipped it over by 180 degrees. Had Venus formed at Mars orbit it might have been spared from that impact in the first place. And its rotation might have been much more earthlike. Like Mars current rotation. And earths magnetic field is a function of it rotation coupled with its liquid core. Venus has a liquid core. Gasses in its atmosphere suggests it is gelogically active. It just doesn´t have tectonics like earth.

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Radiation is unaffected by magnetic fields. So are uncharged particles. Our magnetosphere only protects us from charged particles from the sun and space. The rest is handled by our atmosphere. So the absence of a magnetosphere does NOT mean a sterile planet. Nor does a slow rotation. Life adapts...

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Who´s to say there weren´t more than one impact altering Venus rotation and tilt? To say Venus rotation is more likely due to storms in its atmosphere is just plain ignorance. Only impacts have the energy to tilt a planet.

Answer 5

Recieving less solar energy than it does OTL, early Venus does not experience runaway greenhouse effect. It becomes cool enough for the clouds to condensce, and water oceans form on its surface (the clouds don't become sulphuric acid because the sun doesn't photodisassociate the water). Since it's bigger than Mars its magnetic field will not die, and its atmosphere will not be eroded by solar wind. Its slow rotation is thought to be caused by atmospheric tides (sorry, don't have the link at hand right now), so it would probably rotate much faster than it does now. In short, it would look a lot like Earth.

By the time humans evolve Venus may very well have advanced complex life. Assuming the same amount of water as Earth it would be a somewhat wetter planet with two continents, one the size of Africa and one the size of Australia. With no land on the poles it would have no polar ice and probably be warmer, although being farther from the sun might cancel this out. In short it might be a readily livable world for humans and a very attractive colonization prospect. The space program would undoubtedly be a lot farther along today.

Answer 6

Probably the same as Mars. Venus is hotter than Earth because it is the second nearest planet to the Sun. Mars is fourth making it colder whilst Earth is third. Therefore Venus would be the same temperature as Mars.

Answer 7

Just like mars-hmmm--Venus is a little bit bigger then Mars--tho--hmm--well maybe might have better atmospere