Diameter: 12000 km
Length of Day: 243 Earth days
Length of year: 225 Earth days
Average temperature: 462o CVenus is the second closest planet to the sun. It was named after the Roman Goddess of Beauty - Venus as the early Roman astronomers noted that it shone so brightly in the evening sky. Its size and shape is very similar to that of the Earth and thus is known as Earth’s twin.
The atmosphere of Venus is very thick and dense and is mainly made up of carbon dioxide with drops of sulphuric acid. This reflects light making this planet easy for us to observe from Earth. The space probes that have landed on Venus have found extensive volcanic plains. They have also discovered 2 highland areas like continents on Venus; One in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern hemisphere.
One of the many eccentric facts about Venus is its orbit. Unlike the other planets, it orbits the sun in a clockwise or retrograde direction. Astronomers think that a collision with an enormous chunk of rock that was floating around in space might be responsible for this change in direction.
Life on Venus is impossible because it is the hottest planet in the Solar System. The temperatures can reach 462oC and any water that would have been present would have evaporated in a fraction of a second.
Venus is the brightest planet and the second brightest object in the night sky after the moon and thus is very easy to observe. It can be seen in the sky just before sunrise or just after the sun has gone down. That is why many times Venus is called the Evening Star or the Morning Star.
- By Aarav Iyer
Reference: Unlocking the Universe - Stephen and Lucy Hawking
Source (Image) - Wikipedia