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'''Venus''' is the second planet from the [[Sun]] in our [[Solar System]]. Named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty, Venus is the brightest natural object in the night sky after the [[Moon]].  
[[File:Venus_2_Approach_Image.jpg|thumb|right|Approach image of Venus]]
[[File:Venus_symbol_(bold).svg|Symbol of Venus|thumb|left]]
[[File:Terrestrial_planet_size_comp_2024.png|Comparison of terrestrial planets|thumb|right]]
[[File:2438_pioneer_venus_map_of_venus.jpg|Map of Venus from Pioneer Venus|thumb|left]]
[[File:Venus_-_December_23_2016.png|Venus as seen in December 2016|thumb|right]]
[[File:Solar_system_orrery_inner_planets.gif|Orrery of inner planets|thumb|left]]
[[File:Venus_pentagram.png|Pentagram of Venus|thumb|right]]
'''Venus''' is the second planet from the [[Sun]] and is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. As the brightest natural object in the night sky after the [[Moon]], Venus can cast shadows and is often visible to the naked eye in broad daylight. Venus lies within [[Earth]]'s orbit, and so never appears to venture far from the Sun, either setting in the west just after dusk or rising in the east a bit before dawn. Venus orbits the Sun every 224.7 Earth days. With a rotation period of 243 Earth days, it takes longer to rotate about its axis than any other planet in the [[Solar System]] and does so in the opposite direction to most of the other planets.


== Physical Characteristics ==
== Physical characteristics ==


Venus is similar in size and structure to [[Earth]], and is often described as Earth's "sister" or "twin". The diameter of Venus is 12,104 km—only 638 km less than Earth's—and its mass is 81.5% of Earth's. However, conditions on the Venusian surface differ radically from those on Earth due to its dense [[atmosphere]].
=== Internal structure ===
[[File:InteriorOfVenus.svg|thumb|right|Diagram of Venus's internal structure]]
Venus is a [[terrestrial planet]] and is sometimes called Earth's "sister planet" because of their similar size, mass, proximity to the Sun, and bulk composition. However, it has a radically different atmosphere and surface conditions. Venus has a central iron core and a rocky mantle, similar to Earth.


The atmosphere of Venus is composed primarily of carbon dioxide and is much denser and hotter than that of Earth. The temperature at the surface of Venus is about 467 °C (872 °F), and the pressure is 92 times that of Earth's atmosphere. This makes Venus's surface hotter than [[Mercury's]], even though Venus is nearly twice as far from the Sun and receives only 25% of the solar irradiance.
=== Surface ===
[[File:Surface_of_Venus_from_Venera_13.jpg|thumb|right|Surface of Venus from Venera 13]]
The surface of Venus is covered with smooth, volcanic plains, with two large highland areas: Ishtar Terra and Aphrodite Terra. The planet's surface is obscured by an opaque layer of highly reflective clouds of sulfuric acid, preventing its surface from being seen from space in visible light.


== Orbit and Rotation ==
=== Atmosphere ===
Venus has an extremely dense atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulfuric acid droplets. The atmospheric pressure at the planet's surface is about 92 times that of Earth's, and the thick atmosphere traps heat in a runaway version of the greenhouse effect that warms Earth.


Venus orbits the Sun every 224.7 Earth days. It has the slowest rotation of any planet in the Solar System, taking 243 Earth days to complete a single rotation along its axis. Interestingly, Venus's rotation is retrograde; it rotates in the opposite direction to the direction it orbits around the Sun.
== Orbit and rotation ==
Venus orbits the Sun at an average distance of about 108 million kilometers (about 0.7 AU) and completes an orbit every 224.7 Earth days. Unlike most planets in the Solar System, Venus rotates on its axis in a direction opposite to its orbital motion around the Sun. This means that on Venus, the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east.


== Exploration of Venus ==
== Observation ==
[[File:Phases_Venus.jpg|thumb|right|Phases of Venus]]
Venus is the third-brightest natural object in the sky after the Sun and the Moon. It is often visible in the morning or evening sky and is sometimes referred to as the "Morning Star" or "Evening Star." Venus exhibits phases like those of the Moon, which can be observed with a telescope.


The exploration of Venus has been a significant focus of planetary science since the mid-20th century. Venus's thick clouds render observation of its surface impossible in visible light, and the first detailed maps did not emerge until the arrival of the [[Magellan (spacecraft)|Magellan]] orbiter in 1991.
== Exploration ==
Venus has been explored by several spacecraft, including the Soviet Venera series, which provided the first images of the surface, and NASA's Magellan, which mapped the surface with radar. The European Space Agency's Venus Express orbited the planet from 2006 to 2014, studying its atmosphere and surface.


== See Also ==
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Venus-pacific-levelled.jpg|Venus over the Pacific
File:Lunar_Occultation_of_Venus_(NHQ201512070001).jpg|Lunar occultation of Venus
File:Transit_of_Venus_viewed_in_Wagga_Wagga_(2).jpg|Transit of Venus
File:Venus_Tablet_of_Ammisaduqa.jpg|Venus Tablet of Ammisaduqa
File:Dresden_Codex_p09.jpg|Dresden Codex
File:Venus_Drawing.jpg|Drawing of Venus
File:Foto_de_Venera_9.png|Image from Venera 9
File:Russian_"Vega"_balloon_mission_to_Venus_on_display_at_the_Udvar-Hazy_museum.jpg|Vega balloon mission
File:Wispr_4thflyby.gif|WISPR 4th flyby
File:VenusLanderTopo.jpg|Venus lander topography
File:NASA_Cloud_City_on_Venus.jpg|Concept of a cloud city on Venus
File:Kudurru_Melishipak_Louvre_Sb23_n02.jpg|Kudurru of Melishipak
</gallery>


* [[List of missions to Venus]]
== Related pages ==
* [[Terrestrial planet]]
* [[Solar System]]
* [[Atmosphere of Venus]]
* [[Atmosphere of Venus]]
* [[Geology of Venus]]
* [[Exploration of Venus]]


[[Category:Planets of the Solar System]]
[[Category:Venus]]
[[Category:Venus]]
{{Solar System}}
[[Category:Terrestrial planets]]
{{Astronomy-stub}}
[[Category:Solar System]]

Latest revision as of 04:07, 29 March 2025

Approach image of Venus
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Symbol of Venus
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Comparison of terrestrial planets
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Map of Venus from Pioneer Venus
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Venus as seen in December 2016
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Orrery of inner planets
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Pentagram of Venus

Venus is the second planet from the Sun and is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. As the brightest natural object in the night sky after the Moon, Venus can cast shadows and is often visible to the naked eye in broad daylight. Venus lies within Earth's orbit, and so never appears to venture far from the Sun, either setting in the west just after dusk or rising in the east a bit before dawn. Venus orbits the Sun every 224.7 Earth days. With a rotation period of 243 Earth days, it takes longer to rotate about its axis than any other planet in the Solar System and does so in the opposite direction to most of the other planets.

Physical characteristics[edit]

Internal structure[edit]

File:InteriorOfVenus.svg
Diagram of Venus's internal structure

Venus is a terrestrial planet and is sometimes called Earth's "sister planet" because of their similar size, mass, proximity to the Sun, and bulk composition. However, it has a radically different atmosphere and surface conditions. Venus has a central iron core and a rocky mantle, similar to Earth.

Surface[edit]

File:Surface of Venus from Venera 13.jpg
Surface of Venus from Venera 13

The surface of Venus is covered with smooth, volcanic plains, with two large highland areas: Ishtar Terra and Aphrodite Terra. The planet's surface is obscured by an opaque layer of highly reflective clouds of sulfuric acid, preventing its surface from being seen from space in visible light.

Atmosphere[edit]

Venus has an extremely dense atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulfuric acid droplets. The atmospheric pressure at the planet's surface is about 92 times that of Earth's, and the thick atmosphere traps heat in a runaway version of the greenhouse effect that warms Earth.

Orbit and rotation[edit]

Venus orbits the Sun at an average distance of about 108 million kilometers (about 0.7 AU) and completes an orbit every 224.7 Earth days. Unlike most planets in the Solar System, Venus rotates on its axis in a direction opposite to its orbital motion around the Sun. This means that on Venus, the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east.

Observation[edit]

File:Phases Venus.jpg
Phases of Venus

Venus is the third-brightest natural object in the sky after the Sun and the Moon. It is often visible in the morning or evening sky and is sometimes referred to as the "Morning Star" or "Evening Star." Venus exhibits phases like those of the Moon, which can be observed with a telescope.

Exploration[edit]

Venus has been explored by several spacecraft, including the Soviet Venera series, which provided the first images of the surface, and NASA's Magellan, which mapped the surface with radar. The European Space Agency's Venus Express orbited the planet from 2006 to 2014, studying its atmosphere and surface.

Gallery[edit]

Related pages[edit]

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