Legacy of the "Magellan" program: a multi-decimeter underground tunnel has been discovered on Venus

Venus – the “evil twin” of Earth

Venus is often called the “evil twin” of our planet because of its extremely harsh surface conditions. A dense cloud cover hides everything beneath it, and the only way to see what lies below is radar. It was this that first revealed Venus’s secrets on a planetary scale with NASA’s *Magellan* probe 35 years ago, and today archival data continue to uncover new details.

New fact: a huge lava tube
An international research team led by Lorenzo Bruccone (University of Trento, Italy) has for the first time convincingly demonstrated the existence of a large hollow lava tunnel on Venus. The *Magellan* radar itself could not directly image such a structure: it only records “windows” – gaps in the walls of tubes that create voids and become visible.

Until now the presence of a lava tube on Venus had been considered only a theoretical possibility. Comparing with Earth, Mars, and the Moon, scientists assumed that volcanism on Venus had ended long ago, and any remaining tubes could have disappeared. The new discovery refutes this hypothesis and raises the planet’s status in studies of geological activity.

Where and how the tube looks
* Location – western flank of the shield volcano *Nyx Mons* (diameter ~362 km) in Venus’s northern hemisphere.

* Dimensions:

* Diameter: ~1 km

* Roof thickness: ≥150 m

* Height of empty space: at least 375 m

* Length of the fall (confirmed): ≥300 m, but indirect evidence suggests it could reach up to 45 km or more.

Such scales far exceed typical lava tubes on Earth and Mars, making the Venusian find unique in the Solar System.

Why this matters
1. Volcanism as a shaping force

Lava tubes form when the upper part of flowing lava solidifies while the inner lava continues to flow, leaving an empty space. Their presence confirms that volcanic processes on Venus continue to influence the planet’s surface and interior for billions of years.

2. New horizons of research

Large underground cavities open opportunities to study Venus’s geological history and the evolution of its volcanism. They could serve as natural refuges from extreme surface conditions, making them potentially interesting for future missions, even with human involvement.

3. Methods and data

The discovery underscores the importance of developing new techniques for probing Venus’s interior and demonstrates the value of re‑analyzing archival data – sometimes old images can reveal new mysteries.

Conclusion
Scientists now know that Venus has enormous lava tubes, which not only confirm the planet’s active volcanic history but also open prospects for future research and missions. This new knowledge strengthens Venus’s role as a key object in understanding geological processes on rocky bodies of the Solar System.