Recent research has shed light on the mysterious disappearance of water from Venus, revealing a potential culprit in the transformation of the planet into a desert wasteland. About 4.5 billion years ago, Venus and Earth were similar in size and structure, likely possessing similar amounts of water. However, today Venus is a hostile environment with high atmospheric pressure and little to no water.

Scientists from the University of Colorado at Boulder have proposed that a molecule called methanaldehyde ion, or HCO+, may be the key player in Venus’ arid conditions. Through computer models, they discovered that HCO+ evaporating into space could be responsible for draining the remaining water on the planet.

While Venus may have initially lost water due to evaporation from its atmosphere, the ongoing process of dissociative recombination involving HCO+ reacting with water molecules continues to deplete the planet’s water reserves. Although direct detection of methanaldehyde ions in Venus’ atmosphere has not been achieved, there are indications of molecules that can participate in this reaction.

Future missions to Venus, like VERITAS and DAVINCI, lack the necessary instruments to study these molecules, prompting scientists to advocate for new missions that can provide more insights into the mechanisms behind Venus’ water loss.