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Venus is the second planet from the sun in our solar system. It is the hottest planet in our
Solar System. This planet is covered with fast-moving sulphuric acid clouds which trap heat
from the Sun. Its thick atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide. Venus has an iron core but only
a very weak magnetic field.
This is a planet on which a person would asphyxiate in the poisonous atmosphere, be cooked
in the extremely high heat, and be crushed by the enormous atmospheric pressure.
Venus is also known as the "morning star" or the "evening star" since it is visible and quite
bright at either dawn or dusk. It is only visible at dawn or dusk since it is closer to the sun
than we are.
Like the moon, Venus' appearance from Earth changes as it orbits around the Sun. It goes
from full to gibbous to crescent to new and back.
SIZE
Venus is about 7,521 miles (12,104 km) in diameter. This is about 95% of the diameter of
the Earth. Venus is the closest to Earth in size and mass of any of the other planets.
MASS AND GRAVITY
Venus' mass is about 4.87 x 1024 kg. The gravity on Venus is 91% of the gravity on Earth.
A 100-pound person would weigh 91 pounds on Venus.
The density of Venus is 5,240 kg/m3, slightly less dense than the Earth and the third densest
planet in our Solar System (after the Earth and Mercury).
LENGTH OF A DAY AND YEAR ON VENUS
Venus rotates VERY slowly. Each day on Venus takes 243 Earth days. A year on Venus
takes 224.7 Earth days. It takes 224.7 Earth days for Venus to orbit the sun once. The same
side of Venus always faces Earth when the Earth and Venus are closest together.
VENUS' ORBIT AND DISTANCE FROM THE SUN
Venus is 67,230,000 miles (108,200,000 km) from the sun. Venus has an almost circular
orbit. On average, Venus is 0.72 AU, 67,230,000 miles = 108,200,000 km from the sun.
Venus rotates in the opposite direction of the Earth (and the other planets, except possibly
Uranus). Looking from the north, Venus rotates clockwise, while the other planets rotate
counterclockwise. From Venus, the Sun would seem to rise in the west and set in the east
(the opposite of Earth). No one knows why Venus has this unusual rotation.
TEMPERATURE ON VENUS
Venus is the hottest planet in our Solar System. Its cloud cover traps the heat of the sun (the
greenhouse effect), giving Venus temperatures up to 480°C. The mean temperature on
Venus is 726 K (452°C = 870°F).
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