Part 5/13:
In 1997, theoretical models proposed that Venus's current rotation could be the result of gradual, long-term atmospheric and gravitational effects rather than a catastrophic impact. Led by Alexandre Korea and Jacqu Lecar from the Paris Observatory, this hypothesis suggests that Venus's dense atmosphere—93 times more massive than Earth's—and its composition (mostly carbon dioxide) create powerful atmospheric tides. Solar heating causes these atmospheric bulges to shift and rotate around the planet, generating frictional drag.