Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system. Here are some facts and other places you can find information.
The brightest of all planets, Venus is also known as the Morning Star and the Evening Star. This planet is about the same size as Earth but is covered with impenetrable clouds of carbon dioxide and sulfur compounds. Radar mapping of the planet shows lots of craters and that 90% of the landforms are volcanic. Venus spins slowly retrograde (backwards west to east) in 243 days and takes about 225 days to orbit the sun. This makes the daytime about 115 days which can raise surface temperatures up to 464° C.
In about a month's time, our Moon appears to change shape called Phases. In 1610, Galileo observed phases and size changes of Venus similar to our natural satellite. His discovery of this and Jupiter’s moons led to a dramatic paradigm shift (way of thinking) from an Earth-centered system to a Sun-centered view. The world was no longer fixed in place and the gods no longer ruled.
Gravity and You
Your weight on Earth is determined by your mass and Earth's mass. Would you weigh more or less on Venus?
Planet Names
Why are the planets named for Roman gods?
Is there a story or myth about the sun?
Click image or here for Planet Myths and Lore.
Planetary Scavenger Hunt!You will need to gather some facts,
compare your data and answer some questions.
Click here to blast off!
| Quick Facts about Venus | |
| Topic | Data |
| Diameter | 12,104 km |
| Density | 5.25 g/cm3 |
| Mass | 4.869 x 1024 kg |
| Volume | 9.284 x 1011 km3 |
| Temperature Range | -45° C to 464° C |
| Atmosphere | 97% Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen |
| Winds | 350 km/hr |
| Moons | None |
| Average Distance from Sun | 108,200,000 km |
| Orbital Period | 0 Years, 224 Days, 16.8 Hours |
| Rotation (Retrograde) | 243 Days, 0.5 Hours |
| Tilt | 177.36° |
| Rings | None |
| Composition | Iron Core, Silicate Surface |
| Magnetic Field | Slight |
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