Images from the Magellan probe illustrate Venus's volcanic activity.

Scientists recently discovered evidence of volcanic activity on Venus, which is similar in size and composition to Earth. The NASA Magellan spacecraft captured images of a region near the Venusian equator, which revealed a volcanic vent that changed shape and increased greatly in size over the span of eight months. The images represent the first direct geological evidence of recent volcanic activity on the surface of Venus. A study detailing the findings was published Wednesday in the journal Science and presented at the 54th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, Texas. The Magellan mission became the first one to image the entire surface of Venus before it intentionally plunged into the planet's hot, toxic atmosphere in 1994. A fleet of new missions will head for Venus within a decade, including VERITAS, the Venus Emissivity, Radio science, InSAR, Topography, And Spectroscopy mission.