The first officer saw a bright object ahead of the plane -- the planet Venus -- and mistook it for the approaching C-17.

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If this were so, it is possible that, instead of Venus experiencing regular volcanic eruptions that release the pressure within the planet, it has no geological activity between its catastrophic outbreaks.

ECONOMIST: Planetary science

The planet orbits its host star, or brown dwarf, with an orbital radius similar to that of Venus.

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In his 2009 book, Storms of my Grandchildren, he argues that the Earth could one day become like the planet Venus, where temperatures are warm enough to melt lead.

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