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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Venus
From: Robert Eno
Date: 2004 May 12, 20:41 -0400
From: Robert Eno
Date: 2004 May 12, 20:41 -0400
This is not exactly a navigation question but given
the relationship between navigation and astronomy, I figure it is fair game.
I was having a discussion with a fellow regarding
global warming and the subject of Venus came up. It is common to hear that were
it not for Venus' thick atmosphere the planet would not be so hot and in fact
some suggest that it would be within a temperature range that would support
life. While I agree with the greenhouse gas theory of Venus, I indicated
to my friend that the idea of Venus supporting life is preposterous; for even
without the thick atmosphere its proximity to the sun guarantees daytime
temperature that would be far too hot for humans.
I think I may be dead wrong in my assumption. A
quick search of the net and some of my astronomy textbooks indicates that in the
absence of an atmosphere the surface temperature of Venus would be 230 K, which
is equal to minus 43 Celsius. Somehow, despite the evidence before me,
this just doesn't seem right. I would have sworn that the temperature would be
much highter than that, even without the thick atmsophere.
I should know better than to shoot my mouth off on
the strength of unproven assumptions.
Anyone on the list have a definitive answer to
this?
