Venus to Intercept Ancient Asteroid Dust Stream in July 2024 Meteor Shower

Venus may intercept a dust stream from an ancient asteroid breakup on July 5, 2024, according to simulations published in Icarus by an INAF research team. The event, potentially visible as a meteor shower, stems from a fragmentation event 17,000–21,000 years ago involving asteroids 2021 PH27 and 2025 GN1.

The study attributes the breakup to solar heating and the YORP effect, a mechanism where uneven thermal radiation alters an asteroid’s spin.

Observational evidence remains limited due to the absence of active Venus-orbiting spacecraft. Current Earth-based methods cannot confirm the dust stream’s existence or the predicted magnitude -12 to -15 fireballs.

The INAF team emphasizes that their simulations align with orbital data but require validation from future missions like EnVision, DAVINCI, or VERITAS.

"Our simulations confirm that this is indeed possible," stated Albino Carbognani of INAF. The team acknowledges technical limitations in resolving the dust stream’s density and trajectory, noting that the event’s visibility from Earth is speculative. No direct observations of meteor showers on Venus have been made to date.