Venusians

Venusians (English Venusian ) is a term for fictional inhabitants of the planet Venus. It is the equivalent of the Martians, the hypothetical inhabitants of Mars.

As " Venusians " are also sometimes people (especially artists) called, inspired particularly true of the beauty - because Venus is a symbol of special beauty. For example, Mozart and his special musical work is counted to this area, but also the ancient poet Lucilius.

Appearance of Venus in the telescope

Venus is that planet from which only a very bright, but our eyes impenetrable cloud layer can be seen in the telescope. On the other hand, it shows under favorable viewing conditions, the biggest slice of all the planets ( at perigee at least up to 62 "or one-thirtieth of the Sun's apparent diameter ) Therefore, Venus was the first celestial bodies except the moon, on the -. Already with the very first telescopes in 1610 - a sickle shape was discovered. Soon one could also find the dichotomy ( the spillover of sickle peaks) and from this estimate the density of the atmosphere.

Speculations on Venus, Mars and the Moon

In past centuries, several astronomers have speculated that Venus might be inhabited, and in some cases even the word " Venusian " used. These considerations were primarily fueled

• Of the Earth-like size of the planet (only 5 % smaller, while Mars, Mercury and the Moon 50-70 % smaller )
• Of similar density (5.2 against 5.5 of the Earth)
• Were of the dense atmosphere and its clouds that cover the planet and interpreted as water clouds
• And at the same time could slow temperature.

Since the 18th century, the changes observed on the visible surfaces of Mars and the Moon (see, Hieronymus Schröter ), which suggested analogies to Venus. When, towards the end of the 19th century, Mars became the center of interest and because of the erroneous interpretation of the canals of Mars was considered a " dying planet", some stylized Venus to a " younger earth."

Various media picked these thoughts to you and let - also inspired by successes of technology - a science-fiction literature on the subject of extraterrestrial life arise. The musings about the evening or morning star still ranged in the 1950s and 1960s, up to a possible jungle vegetation and the question whether it could enter there dinosaurs.

Since the flights of space probes for cloud-covered Venus, and especially since a number of successful landings can largely rule out life on the toxic - hot planet. Accordingly, the SF literature is almost dried up about it, but while eg arise on Mars today new movies.

Older literature on Venusians

Shortly after Kepler, who predicted the transit of Venus of 1631, published individual works in which Venus was described as inhabited.

Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle, published in 1681 his book "On the worlds " in which he represents the inhabitants of Mercury as a hot-headed, whereas those of Venus are nourished by air and love.

During the transit of Venus of 1761, the Magdeburg teacher Georg Christoph Silber impact rule out a diffuse bright aura around the planet that its atmosphere must be more dense than expected. His thesis he published on 13 June 1761 the Magdeburg privileged newspaper and at the same time put in this article the foundation for speculation about Venusians, who should live in paradisiacal landscape. This March lasted until the mid 20th century.

Meanwhile, several Russian probes have landed on Venus and have them exposed as sulfurous desert - with temperatures around 470 degrees and a carbon shell, 90 times denser than the Earth's atmosphere. After an hour, the probes were canceled. This " disenchantment" of the goddess of love, but has no effect in the use of language, but only in space. The brightness of the evening and the morning star and the rare Venus transits ( the next one is on December 11, 2117 ) retain their special charm.

Fictional Venus residents in the recent literature

The term Venusian came into the English-speaking media and science-fiction literature from around 1950 in use, but from oe Reasons since about 1965 used less frequently. Fictional Venusians were:

• Mekon, arch-enemy of the comic hero Dan Dare of the 1950s
• The inhabitants of a second Garden of Eden in the novel Perelandra by CS Lewis
• The War veterans in a short story by Philip K. Dick in 1955. Besides fighting on Mars and Venus colonies robot- like beings come before.
• Between Planets by Robert Heinlein is about various Extraterrestrial and the capture of the young Don Harvey, who is kidnapped on the way to his parents on Mars to Venus. A dragon named Isaac Newton finally freed him.
• In Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon Venus is oxygen-poor oceans covered their living by radioactivity fishy residents are exterminated during the terraforming of man; the later human settlers to develop flight-capable beings.
• The science- fiction classic Clash by Night by Lawrence O'Donnell (Henry Kuttner ) reports of cities under the sea, and struggles to the surface.
• In 20 Million Miles to Earth, a diver finds an egg that came from Venus to Earth and hatch into a bipedal reptile.
• In the 1950s and 1960s, numerous science fiction films and series such as arose Abbott and Costello Go to Mars or Space Patrol, in which Venus women either fight the (male ) astronauts or extremely welcome.
• In the British science fiction series Doctor Who, a civilization Venus is also accepted. Thus, the third doctor dominates venusisches aikido or karate, Venusian sings lullabies and has a Venusian pilot license. On Venus itself is reported from lakes and metal flowers.
• Something solid is the way of Ben Bovas novella Venus (2000) and In the walls of Eryx. Ray Harryhausen can bring a Ymir from Venus to Earth.
• With terraforming Venus is Cowboy Bebop busy; Although the planet is arid but livable. Most residents live in floating cities. In Exosquad Venus is one of three tolerable planet (besides Earth and Mars ).
• In the fictional Star Trek universe Venus is the scene of some actions of Starfleet Academy, and Arthur C. Clarke mentions the planet briefly in 3001: The Final Odyssey.
• In Yargo by Jacqueline Susann there live bees, which reach the size of horses. The mythology of Tolkien's Middle-earth makes Venus the star of Eärendil.
• Some sects believe that Venus was the place of hell, what idea is supported by their inhospitable temperatures and sulfur clouds.
• The conspiracy theorists and mystics Jan Udo Holey claiming that Venus would be like Mars and the Earth is hollow and inhabited on its inside of Aryans.