|
  Venus is one of the brightest objects in our sky, so it is clearly visible to
the naked eye. It can be tricky to spot, however, because it is always near the
Sun. It rises and sets with the Sun each day. Ancient civilizations believed
Venus was actually two different objects, so they called the one that rose the
Morning Star, and the one that sets the Evening Star.
Basic Facts
|
Venus |
Earth |
|
Position from the Sun |
2 |
3 |
|
Diameter |
7,521 miles (12,104 km) |
7,926 miles (12,753 km) |
|
Moons |
0 |
1 |
|
Rings |
0 |
0 |
|
Average Distance from Sun |
67,000,000 miles (108,000,000 km) |
93,000,000 miles (149,000,000 km) |
|
Your Weight on the Planet |
Multiply your weight by 0.91 |
Multiply your weight by 1.0 |
|
Length of One Year |
225 Earth days |
365 Earth days |
|
Length of One Day |
243 Earth days |
1 Earth day |
|
What’s in the Atmosphere? |
Carbon dioxide, nitrogen |
Nitrogen, oxygen |
|
Temperature |
860ºF (460ºC) |
-128ºF to 136ºF
(-89ºC to 58ºC) |
Discovery
Since Venus can be seen with the naked eye, no one really knows who
discovered Venus. Venus’ beautiful color made it easy for ancient astronomers
to find it in the night sky long before the invention of the telescope.
Missions to Venus
|
Mission |
Launch Date(s) |
Mission Accomplishments |
|
Venera Missions (USSR) |
1961 to 1983 |
First probe to enter Venus’ atmosphere. First successful landing of a
spacecraft on another planet. Transmitted first black and white pictures
of the planet's surface. |
|
Mariner Missions (USA) |
1962 to 1973 |
Took pictures of Venus’ atmosphere. |
|
Pioneer Missions (USA) |
1978 |
First spacecraft to use radar to map Venus’ surface. |
|
Vega Missions (USSR) |
1984 |
Conducted soil experiments. |
|
Galileo (USA and Europe) |
1989 |
Images of Venus. Used Venus to pick up speed on its way to Jupiter. |
|
Magellan (USA) |
1989 |
Mapped Venus. |
Interesting Facts About Venus
 | In the 1950's astronomers noticed that Venus rotates in the
opposite direction of Earth. On Venus, the Sun rises in the west and sets in
the east. |
| Hottest planet in our solar system. |
| A canyon on Venus is four times as big and twice as deep as the Grand
Canyon. |
| Venus probably once had oceans, but they all boiled away into the
atmosphere. |
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