If you have studied the solar system, you probably already know that Venus is the second planet from the sun, and that it is about the same size as Earth but has a much different atmosphere, with a lot more carbon dioxide than Earth has. But was it always like that? MSN posted an article this week talking about the latest research findings about Venus’ beginnings and change of atmosphere over time due to massive volcanic eruptions which led to the hefty increases in carbon dioxide that are now making the planet so warm (even in comparison to what we expect due to its closer orbit to the sun).  Will the Earth someday become like Venus? Probably not, but it does provide some interesting information about other planetary atmospheres. You can read about it here.

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