Astronomy › Section H · The Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars › Topic H.9
Why the rocky planets diverged
Venus, Earth and Mars formed in the same inner region of the solar system from much the same rock and metal. Today one is a furnace, one is a frozen desert, and one is full of life. Comparing them shows which few factors decide a planet's fate.
In this topic
- Three siblings, three fates
- Size decides how long a planet stays active
- Worked example: surface area for each unit of volume
- Holding on to an atmosphere
- Distance and the greenhouse
- Worked example: how big is each greenhouse?
- Earth's carbon thermostat
- Two runaways in opposite directions
- Lessons for Earth
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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