Contact: Håkan Svedhem
hakan.svedhem@esa.int
31-715-653-370
European Space Agency

The Contrast -- Venus, Earth and Mars

Caption: From what scientists know now, it is possible that Venus and Mars started out a lot like Earth. At some point in time, each planet followed a path that changed its climate. The transition was from Earth-like to either a cloudy inferno (Venus) or a frigid desert (Mars). Data from Venus Express and Mars express is now helping scientists determine if, when and why each planet passed the point of no return.

Credit: USSR Venera 13 Camera II, ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)

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Related news release: Climate catastrophes in the solar system