::Interactive Astronomy::

Venus

Fast Facts:

Orbital Period- 224 days

Density- 5200kg/ cubic metre

Escape Velocity- 10.4km/s

Rotation period (backwards)- 243 days

Diameter- 12 104km

No. of known moons: 0

Hubble Space Telescope image of Venus

Venus is literally the most extreme planet in the solar system. Covered head to toe by layers of sulfuric gases, the greenhouse produces stifling heat, up to 800F day and night. It is the hottest planet in the solar system. The pressure on Venus is 93 times that of Earth at sea-level.

There is no water on Venus. Venus is perpetually soaked in acid rain, it is only that the acid drops evaporate even before they can touch the ground. Satellites orbiting Venus can rarely take a clear image due to the immense cloud cover but the few images show several geological features, like mountains. The surface of Venus is a thick layer of lava, erasing away craters and other curved in features. There is also no plate tectonics on Venus.

Geography:

Hottest planet in the solar system
Lava produces tall mountains but also wash away land features
Inactive plate tectonics presently
Nevertheless, young surface suggests recent volcanic activity
Strong winds occur on Venus’ atmosphere. Weak ones occur on Venus’ surface

Anatomy

Believed to have a core, mantle and crust
No plate tectonics. Means thick crust, or thin mantle, or solid mantle.
Venus rotates in a retrograde motion
It is the brightest object in the sky apart from the moon
Venus has no magnetic field

Chemical composition

No water
Wrapped in Greenhouse gases. Sulfuric gases and carbon dioxide.
Iron core of 3000km
Rocky mantle
A crust
Weak magnetic field. A pseudo-field from the solar wind.

Climate

Temperature of day and night rise above 800F.
Pressure 93 times that of Earth. Caused by the thick layers of greenhouse gases pressing down on the surface of Venus.
Rainwater evaporates before touching the ground.
Extremely hot and harsh