Did Venus Ever Have Oceans?
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National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC and Presented Online
Free, Registration Required Free
Presenter: Dr. Rita Parai, Washington University in St. Louis
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National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC and Presented Online
Free, Registration Required Free
Presenter: Dr. Rita Parai, Washington University in St. Louis
Often called Earth's twin, there is much debate over Venus' status as a watery world: If Venus had oceans, where did all that water go? Join Rita Parai from Washington University in St. Louis as she explores the question "Did Venus Ever Have Oceans?" She will also discuss a current mission concept that hopes to return a sample of Venus's atmosphere for analysis here on Earth to further enhance our understanding of the planet Venus.
Rita Parai is an assistant professor of geochemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. Her laboratory for high-precision noble gas isotopic analyses pursues high-precision measurements of isotopes in rocks to better understand the formation and evolution of planetary bodies.
This program will be presented in-person at the National Air and Space Museum in DC and will be streamed live on the Museum's YouTube channel.
ASL interpretation will be provided for the in-person event. ASL interpretation and live captioning will be provided on YouTube. If you require another access service to fully participate or have any questions about accessibility, please contact NASMPublicLectures@si.edu. To ensure the best experience, please try to contact us at your soonest convenience.
Lecture attendees are invited to arrive early at 7 pm to explore the first-floor galleries of the Museum. After the lecture, attendees can join our astronomy educators outside the Independence Avenue entrance for pop-up stargazing (weather permitting).
Life as we know it requires access to water, usually liquid water, and Earth is not the only place in our solar system where we can find this resource. In this year’s Exploring Space Lecture Series, we will explore the distribution of liquid oceans in our solar system, past and present; consider the origins of Earth’s oceans and learn about what happened to Mars’ oceans; question whether Earth’s twin, Venus, could have ever been cool enough to support oceans; and examine why the outer solar system is dominated by moons with salty, underground oceans.
Registration is encouraged for online viewing. Those who register will get a day-of reminder about the livestream.
We rely on the generous support of donors, sponsors, members, and other benefactors to share the history and impact of aviation and spaceflight, educate the public, and inspire future generations. With your help, we can continue to preserve and safeguard the world’s most comprehensive collection of artifacts representing the great achievements of flight and space exploration.
We rely on the generous support of donors, sponsors, members, and other benefactors to share the history and impact of aviation and spaceflight, educate the public, and inspire future generations. With your help, we can continue to preserve and safeguard the world’s most comprehensive collection of artifacts representing the great achievements of flight and space exploration.