DISTANCE FROM EARTH //
61 million km
TEMPERATURE //
464°C
LENGTH OF YEAR //
225 days
Say hello to Venus!
Venus has a unique orbit and rotation. It orbits the sun at an average distance of 108 million km and has a nearly circular orbit, with a year lasting approximately 225 Earth days. Venus rotates very slowly, taking 243 Earth days to complete one rotation on its axis, and it rotates in the opposite direction to most other planets. As a result, one day on Venus is longer than its year. This slow rotation also causes Venus to have very little magnetic field, which contributes to its lack of a protective magnetic shield against the sun's harmful solar winds.
Venus, the second planet from the Sun, plays a crucial role in our understanding of the solar system. Its thick atmosphere and extreme greenhouse effect provide insights into climate change and the potential for habitability on other planets.
Real photographs
Only four spacecraft have ever returned photographs from the surface of Venus. Our neighbouring planet doesn't make it easy, below the clouds blistering heat and crushing pressures quickly destroy most landers. But, in 1975 and 1982, 4 of the Soviet Union's Venera probes captured our only photos of Venus' surface. The Venera landers scanned the surface back and forth to create panoramic images of their surroundings. They revealed yellow skies and cracked, desolate landscapes that were both alien and familiar, views of a world that may have once been like Earth before experiencing catastrophic climate change. Here are the only photos we have of the surface of Venus.
Did you know?
1
The first person to look at Venus in a telescope was the astronomer Galileo Galilei. He took the first accurate observations of the planet in 1610.
Venus is named after the Roman goddess of love, sex, beauty, and fertility.The Romans believed that gods and goddesses were in charge of everything on Earth.
There are yellow clouds on Venus.
Venus is the third brightest natural object in the night sky after the Moon and The Sun. The clouds of sulphuric acid in Venus' atmosphere make it reflective and shiny. This means you can see it amongst the stars in the night.
5
Recently, scientists detected traces of phosphine, a biosignature gas, in the upper atmospheric clouds on Venus. They conjecture that some unknown microbial activity could be releasing phosphine. Several spacecraft will be going to Venus to conduct extensive studies and ascertain the findings.
6
Though Venus is the second planet in the solar system, it is hotter than Mercury. The planet has a high ability to reflect solar radiation. Venus does not have plants to recycle carbon dioxide, thereby increasing the greenhouse effect. The dense gases trap the heat energy, raising surface temperatures.
7
Jimmy Carter, while Governor of Georgia, phoned the state police to report a UFO that proved to be Venus!
Venus has two sunrises in a year. As Venusian days are longer than its year, the planet has a sunrise every 117 earth days. So by the time a day ends on Venus, two sunrises and a year have already passed by.
9
A squadron of allied bombers returning from a mission over Japan in World War 2 saw a brilliant light that appeared to keep pace with them. Firing their guns, they attempted, without success, to blow up the Evening Star.
Are we able to colonize Venus?
Geoffrey Landis, a NASA scientist, has proposed a conceptual design for colonizing Venus. Landis envisions a floating city in the Venusian atmosphere, rather than settling on the planet's harsh surface. The city would use a combination of solar power and wind energy to stay aloft, and would be made of advanced materials to withstand the extreme temperatures and pressure of Venus. The city's inhabitants would live in pressurized habitats, and would grow their own food using genetically engineered plants. Landis believes that colonizing Venus would provide a unique opportunity for scientific research, as well as potentially valuable resources such as sulfuric acid and carbon. However, the idea is still purely speculative and faces numerous technological and logistical challenges.
Venus in popular culture
In music
Venus has been a popular subject in music as well. In the 1960s, the Dutch rock band Shocking Blue released a song called "Venus," which became a hit in the United States. The song has been covered by many other artists over the years. Additionally, the band Bananarama had a hit with their song "Venus" in the 1980s, which was a cover of the Shocking Blue song.
In science fiction
Venus has been a popular topic in science fiction for decades. Because of its proximity to Earth, many science fiction stories have imagined Venus as a potential place for human colonization.
In art
Aside from the characteristics of Venus and some of the myths about her, the depiction of Venus in art is significant to the role she plays in feminism, and her appeal in pop culture. We find throughout history that Venus was often used by artists as an excuse to sculpt and paint naked women and disguise it within mythology.