Scientists Unravel Venus's Water Loss Mystery

New research reveals how Venus, once abundant in water like Earth, has become the driest planet in our solar system.

Researchers pinpoint the molecule HCO+ as the key factor in Venus’s rapid water loss, a discovery that could reshape understanding of planetary atmospheres.
The process involves dissociative recombination, where water molecules break down, causing hydrogen to escape into space.
Venus now holds 100,000 times less water than Earth, despite their similar size and mass, due to these atmospheric reactions.
Future missions, including NASA’s DAVINCI, aim to explore Venus further, although current instruments can't detect HCO+ directly.
The findings, published in Nature, may also provide insights into water loss on other planets across the galaxy.