New study reveals that Venus, not Mars had conditions suitable for life

A new study shows evidence that Venus and not Mars is the most likely planet in the solar system to have also developed life. New computer models show that Venus might have had its oceans for a billion years after it formed. Previously, similar models showed that it's oceans heated up and evaporated within Venus' first 600 millions, a significantly shorter period of time. These extra 400 million years are especially important because in most of the first 600 million years of existence, Venus was under heavy bombardment of asteroids which would have made life very unlikely. However, in these later years, asteroid bombardment had tapered off, making life much more likely.

If samples can be collected from the surface then scientists might find rocks that formed when the planet was wet. This could help them to definitively determine how long ago the planet dried out.