🔭 Basic Facts
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Position from Sun | 2nd planet |
| Average Distance | ~108 million km (0.72 AU) |
| Diameter | 12,104 km |
| Mass | 4.87 × 10²⁴ kg |
| Surface Gravity | 8.87 m/s² (about 0.9 Earth’s) |
| Orbital Period | 224.7 Earth days |
| Rotation Period | 243 Earth days (retrograde) |
| Solar Day Length | ~117 Earth days |
| Axial Tilt | 177.4° (almost upside down) |
| Average Surface Temp | ~465 °C |
| Moons | None |
| Atmosphere | Very thick, mostly CO₂ with sulfuric acid clouds |
🌌 Orbit and Rotation
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Nearly circular orbit (eccentricity ~0.007).
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Very slow, retrograde rotation — spins opposite to most planets.
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One solar day (sunrise to sunrise) lasts about 117 Earth days.
🌍 Surface and Geology
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Rocky solid surface with many volcanoes and large geological formations.
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Hottest planet surface temperature in the Solar System (~465 °C).
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Surface pressure is about 92 times that of Earth’s sea level — equivalent to 900 meters underwater.
☁️ Atmosphere
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Composed mainly of carbon dioxide (~96.5%).
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Thick clouds made of sulfuric acid droplets obscure the surface.
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Intense greenhouse effect traps heat, causing extreme temperatures.
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Strong winds and atmospheric waves exist.
🧲 Magnetic Field
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Almost no intrinsic magnetic field.
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Exposed strongly to solar wind.
🌑 Internal Structure
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Similar to Earth: iron core, thick silicate mantle, and crust.
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Core likely partially molten.
🛰️ Exploration
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Numerous missions, especially by the Soviet Union (Venera program).
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Venera 7 — first successful soft landing on another planet (1970).
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Venera 9 — first surface images from another planet.
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US missions: Mariner series, Magellan (radar mapping).
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Ongoing studies of atmosphere and surface.
🧠 Interesting Facts
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Venus is the hottest planet because of its dense CO₂ atmosphere and runaway greenhouse effect.
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Its retrograde rotation means the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east.
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Very bright in Earth’s sky — known as the "Morning Star" or "Evening Star."
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It rains sulfuric acid, but the droplets evaporate before reaching the surface.