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Wednesday, September 23, 2026 · UTC
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Hypothetical Venus moons would all collapse into the planet, models find

Computer models of planetary gravity tested moons from half to 10 times the mass of Earth's Moon against Venus; every one fell in.

Caleb Mbeki
Planetary Science Reporter
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Venus moons doomed to collapse, models show
Venus moons doomed to collapse, models show AI illustrationhow this picture was made
Every hypothetical moon around Venus would eventually collapse into the planet, according to computer models that tested bodies from half to 10 times the mass of Earth's Moon. [1] Planetary scientist Stephen Kane based the models on gravitational interactions, first reproducing the Earth-Moon system to validate the approach, then varying Venus's rotation rate and running each moon mass against it. [1] Kane said the outcome was uniform: a moon of any tested size falls into its mother planet. [2]
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What this stands on
  1. Kane created computer models based on planetary gravitational interactions, first reproducing the Earth-Moon system to validate the model, then varying Venus's rotation rate and testing hypothetical moon masses ranging from half to 10 times the mass of Earth's Moon. · Phys.org
  2. Stephen Krane stated that computer models based on planetary physics showed hypothetical Venusian moons of various sizes would all eventually collapse into their mother planet. · cyprus-mail.com
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