Venus: the forgotten planet

Venus, a planet with loads of visitors between 1961 and 1983, was practically abandoned by the scientific communities of both East and West as soon as it became clear that its inhospitable atmosphere and suffocating temperatures were incapable of sustaining life of any form. With a last effort to map its surface in 1990, Venus was soon to be left behind in the list of scientific priorities with basic questions about the origins of its atmosphere, the composition of its surface and the role of its menacing clouds left un-answered. We will make our own trip to the mysteries of our neighbouring planet to prepare both for the planet's transit in June 8th and also for the long awaited new ESA mission to Venus, Venus Express, due to launch in November 2005. This talk will definitely have more pictures than equations and will surely pose more questions than answers.