Venus is the second planet from the Sun, and is Earth’s closest neighbor in terms of size and distance. Venus is similar to Earth in many ways, but also very different. For example, Venus has a much longer day than Earth – a “day” on Venus lasts for 243 Earth days!
Here are ten fun facts about Venus:
1. Although Venus is often referred to as the “Morning Star” or “Evening Star,” it is actually not a star at all! It gets its bright appearance from being covered in reflective clouds made up of sulphuric acid.
2. The surface of Venus is incredibly hot and dry, with temperatures reaching up to 462 degrees Celsius (863 degrees Fahrenheit). This makes it the hottest planet in our solar system!
3. The atmospheric pressure on Venus is also 90 times greater than that of Earth’s atmosphere at sea level. This high pressure results in crushing conditions that would be lethal to humans within minutes.
4. Despite being so close to the Sun, Venus experiences very little sunlight due to its dense atmosphere which blocks most of the light out. In fact, during some parts of its orbit around the Sun, Venus actually experiences more night than day!
5. Unlike any other planet in our solar system, rotation on Venus occurs backwards compared to the others. So while a day on Earth lasts 24 hours, a day on Venus lasts 243 Earth days… meaning a year on Venus only consists of 224 1/2 days!
6. As well as having an extremely long day, sunrise and sunset also last for several weeks each on Venus! This strange phenomenon occurs because although one side of Venus always faces towards the Sun (due to tidal locking), the thick clouds prevent us from seeing any daylight until they eventually clear enough for sunlight to reach down through them onto the surface below – which can take weeks!
7. Venus, the second planet from the Sun, is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. With a diameter of 12,104 kilometres, Venus is only slightly smaller than Earth.
8. Venus is often referred to as the Earth’s sister planet because of their similar size and mass. But that’s where the similarities end. Venus has a very thick atmosphere made mostly of carbon dioxide and clouds of sulfuric acid. The atmospheric pressure on the surface of Venus is 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere.
9. Venus is the brightest object in the night sky after the Moon. Because it is so close to the Sun, it is often hidden in the Sun’s glare during the day.
10. There is a very active volcano on Venus called Maat Mons. Maat Mons is the highest mountain on Venus and is about the size of Mount Everest.
