Venus is the second planet from the Sun and the second-brightest object in the night sky after the Moon.
Named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty, Venus is the second-largest terrestrial planet and is often called Earth’s sister planet due to its similar size and mass. Its surface, however, is completely hidden beneath a dense, opaque atmosphere of clouds composed mainly of sulfuric acid.
Venus Planet Profile | |
|---|---|
Equatorlal Diameter | 12,104 km |
Polar Diameter | 12,104 km
(Venus has almost no flattening) |
Mass | 4.87 × 10²⁴ kg (≈ 0.815 Earths) |
Moons | 0 (None) |
Orbit Distance | 108,209,475 km (0.72 AU) |
Orbit Period | 224.7 Earth days |
Surfface Tempature | ≈ 462 °C (average) |
Rotation Period | 243 Earth days
(Retrograde rotation) |
Atmosphere | Dense carbon dioxide atmosphere with sulfuric acid clouds. |
Surface Gravity | 8.87 m/s² (≈ 90% of Earth) |
First Record | 17th Century BC |
Recorded By | Babylonial astronomers |
Much like the planet itself, Venus draws attention to warmth, pleasure, and atmosphere. Its influence can soften perception, immersating us in emotion, affection, and desire, sometimes creating a haze in which comfort, beauty, and connection take priority. When unbalanced, this influence may lead to emotional dependency, indulgence, or the search for soothing experiences through food, relationships, or substances that dull sensation rather than nourish it.
Although mood swings and sudden changes of heart are often attributed to the Moon, Venus plays a significant role in these shifts as well. At its core, Venus seeks balance. It governs harmony within the body and mind, guiding hormonal equilibrium and helping us intuitively recognize what we need to consume, enjoy, or release in order to maintain health, beauty, and emotional well-being.
Venus takes 243 Earth days to rotate once on its axis, while it completes an orbit around the Sun in just 225 Earth days. A full solar day on Venus, from one sunrise to the next, lasts about 117 Earth days.
Venus rotates in a retrograde direction, meaning the Sun would appear to rise in the west and set in the east. This unusual rotation may be the result of a massive collision early in the planet’s history. Venus also has no natural satellites.
Only the Moon appears brighter. With a visual magnitude between −3.8 and −4.6, Venus is so luminous that it can sometimes be seen during daylight under clear conditions.
Surface pressure on Venus is about 92 times greater than Earth’s, equivalent to the pressure found deep in Earth’s oceans. Small asteroids are crushed before reaching the surface, which is why Venus has relatively few small craters.
Venus and Earth are very similar in size, with only a 638 km difference in diameter. Venus has about 81.5% of Earth’s mass, and both planets share a similar internal structure, including a core, mantle, and crust.
Ancient civilizations once believed Venus was two separate objects. The Greeks called them Phosphorus and Hesperus, while the Romans used the names Lucifer and Vesper. This illusion occurs as Venus shifts from appearing after sunset to before sunrise. The Maya tracked Venus as early as 650 AD.
Despite not being the closest planet to the Sun, Venus has an average surface temperature of about 462 °C. Its thick atmosphere, composed of roughly 96.5% carbon dioxide, traps heat in an extreme greenhouse effect. With almost no axial tilt, Venus experiences no seasons.
The Venus Express spacecraft entered orbit in 2006 and conducted detailed studies of the planet’s atmosphere and surface. Originally planned for 500 days, the mission was extended several times and ended in 2015. Scientists identified over 1,000 large volcanoes on Venus.
The Venera 1 probe was launched in 1961 but lost contact. The U.S. probe Mariner 2 successfully gathered data in 1962. In 1966, Venera 3 became the first human-made object to land on Venus.
Before radar mapping became available in the 1960s, Venus’s thick cloud cover led scientists to speculate about oceans and jungles. Later studies revealed an extreme, hostile environment. Evidence suggests Venus may once have had oceans, which evaporated as temperatures rose.
