Moon's Theft and Venus's Spin: A Cosmic Collision's Consequences

Researchers propose that Venus may have captured and then destroyed a moon, causing its unusual spin direction. The hypothetical moon's retrograde motion would have slowed down Venus's spin, but eventually, it was broken apart by Venus's gravity and fell onto the planet. This scenario could explain why Venus spins in the opposite direction compared to other planets. The study offers a new perspective on the peculiarities of Venus's orbit and is published in the journal Universe.