December 1, 2024

5 Surprising Facts About the Planet Venus

A recently processed picture of Venus put together utilizing data from the Mariner 10 spacecraft in 1974. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Venus looks like the planet earth so much theyre called sister worlds due to the fact that of resemblance of size and density, although Venus is 20% smaller sized in mass. Since of the reduced mass of the world and weaker gravitational pull, you d weigh 20% less when standing on Venus relative to earth. Venus is one of the quirkiest planets in the solar system.
1. Time is Strange on Venus
On Venus, it takes the equivalent of 243 Earth days for Venus to make a total rotation around its axis. Venus does that in 224 days. Its true but weird; a year is shorter than a day on Venus.
Image of Venus gotten by the Akatsuki objective, the very first Japanese probe to go into orbit around a world besides the Earth. Credit: ISAS/JAXA
2. The Heat is Overwhelming
Venus and earth may be similar in size, but the temperature levels on Venus make it far less hospitable. According to NASA, the temperature levels on Venus are fiery hot, enough to melt lead. Envision what they might do to you. Why is it so hot on the earths sister planet? Venuss atmosphere is made up of practically 96% co2, with a percentage of water vapor. These greenhouse gases keep heat from leaving the surface of Venus, so the surface area reaches a temperature level that isnt survivable, with temperatures between 460 and 880 Fahrenheit. Even spacecraft melt after just a couple of hours on Venus.

3. Venus Will Crush You
The chances against survival even brief term are non-existent if you can endure the extreme heat on Venus. The reason? The atmospheric pressure is 90 times higher than it is on earth, the equivalent of the pressure you would experience if you journeyed 3,000 feet undersea. Simply put, the climatic pressure of Venus will squash you immediately should you wind up there. Not that you d want to visit anyhow!
This international view of the surface area of Venus is centered at 180 degrees east longitude. Magellan synthetic aperture radar mosaics from the first cycle of Magellan mapping are mapped onto a computer-simulated world to develop this image. Data spaces are filled with Pioneer Venus Orbiter information, or a constant mid-range value. Simulated color is utilized to boost small-scale structure. The simulated colors are based upon color images tape-recorded by the Soviet Venera 13 and 14 spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Caltech
4. Venus is a Bit “Backward”.
Another unusual thing about Venus is its rotation. Things are backward on Venus; the planet rotates in a clockwise instructions around its axis and the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. Venus is the only world in the solar system that spins clockwise.
5. Venus Looks Lovely from Afar.
If you viewed Venus through a microscope, you would believe its the loveliest of worlds, a lovely light in the sky. Venus appears brilliant and glowing in the sky since of its proximity to earth. Inspired were early astronomers by the obvious beauty of earths sibling world that they called it after Venus, the Roman goddess of beauty and love. If you got closer to its surface, you would see a myriad of deep craters and mountains. You d also see countless volcanoes varying in size from quite big to very small. It has more volcanoes than any other planet, the largest being Sapas Mons. The volcanoes play a significant function in forming its surface area.
Surface features of Venus from the Magellan mission. Credit: Magellan Team/JPL/USGS.
The Bottom Line.
If Venus looks gorgeous in the sky, but its not a place you d wish to check out even for a quick time, nor could you survive it. The finest way to admire it is with a microscopic lense.
Venus, our planetary neighbor, is a hot, hellish unforgiving world and NASA has actually chosen two strong brand-new missions to study this inferno-like planet: DAVINCI+ and VERITAS. Are Venus and Earth basically distinct worlds?
NASA is returning to Venus. Find out more about the DAVINCI+ and VERITAS missions.
Learn more: 10 Astonishing Mysteries of Venus.

Venus looks like the planet earth so much theyre called sister planets because of resemblance of size and density, although Venus is 20% smaller in mass. Since of the reduced mass of the world and weaker gravitational pull, you d weigh 20% less when standing on Venus relative to earth. On Venus, it takes the equivalent of 243 Earth days for Venus to make a complete rotation around its axis. Venus and earth might be similar in size, however the temperature levels on Venus make it far less hospitable. Motivated were early astronomers by the evident beauty of earths sibling planet that they called it after Venus, the Roman goddess of appeal and love.