Venus, nearly as large as Earth, has endured eons of warmth, but this has become its downfall. Now, dubbed Earth’s sister, Venus is ensnared in a lethal mix of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid, with surface pressures nearly 100 times greater than Earth’s and scorching temperatures surpassing 700°F, enough to liquefy lead. Despite its potential parallels with Earth in the distant past, including a probable watery surface, Venus’s fate diverged due to our sun’s aging.
As stars mature, they brighten, altering their habitable zones. Our sun, over billions of years, shifted its habitable zone outward, resulting in increased heat reaching Venus. Initially, Venus might have supported life, but as temperatures soared, water vapor dominated the atmosphere, triggering a runaway greenhouse effect. Eventually, Venus lost its oceans and plate tectonics ceased, leading to a buildup of carbon dioxide and a ballooning atmosphere, sealing its fate.
This fate is not unique to Venus. As the sun continues to evolve, its habitable zone expands, spelling a similar demise for Earth in around 500 million years. Both planets will become barren wastelands, choked by their own atmospheres, a sobering reminder of the sun’s inexorable march toward its eventual end.
