Episode Details

Venus, Earth's closest sibling, used to have oceans and lakes like Earth, but now it's a super hot and pressurized place. The main reason for this is that Venus is closer to the sun, getting more energy which made its atmosphere much harsher over billions of years. Unlike Earth, Mars lost its early atmosphere because its smaller size couldn't hold onto it, especially after volcanic activity slowed and stopped. Venus, being so close to the sun, had its oceans boil away, and volcanoes kept pumping out carbon dioxide, a strong greenhouse gas. Earth's oceans help control carbon dioxide by absorbing it and turning it into rock, which is why it's so important to protect them.

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