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Name: Sam
Status: educator
Grade: 9-12
Location: CA
Country: USA
Question:
Why does Earth have a magnetosphere and Venus does not?


Replies:
Sam,

As you know magnetospheres are believed to be caused by the currents produced by the motion of charged particles within the planet. Electrical currents have an allied magnetic field. While we cannot be sure why, Venus apparently has very little magnetic field. This could mean that the chemical substances that are needed to produce the electrical current, or the physical requirements -such as motion of a molten core- are not present in Venus. I do not think it is established why Venus lacks these chemical or physical requirements, but the data certainly indicates that it must because our probes show that Venus has orders of magnitudes weaker magnetic fields than that of Earth.

Greg (Roberto Gregorius)
Canisius College

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