Venus and Mars

Episode number 22 of Series “Universe: the infinite frontier: an introductory astronomy telecourse”.
Venus and Earth appear to be sister planets, similar in size. Earth, with its oxygen based atmosphere, and water mass, supports life. The atmosphere of Venus is a deadly cocktail of “Greenhouse” gases, and the planet’s surface is heavily shrouded in clouds, which modern satellies have only just penetrated. Mars, on the other hand, seemed the most likely planet to support life. On the surface, polar caps could be identified, and features that resembling water-bearing canals were also evident. Unfortunately, this was not the case and so the search for life elsewhere in the universe continues.