Terrestrial Planet
Venus
Although Venus has a very similar size and interior structure as Earth, its volcanic surface and extremely hot, dense atmosphere makes it one of the most inhospitable places in the Solar System.
Equatorial Diameter
12,104 km
Surface Temperature
462°C
Mass
4.867 × 10^24 kg
Surface Gravity
8.87 m/s²
Orbital Period
225 Earth Days
Rotation Period
243 Earth Days
Mean Dist. from Sun
108 million km
Atmosphere
96% Carbon Dioxide
Planetary Structure & Atmosphere
Venus's thick, toxic atmosphere traps heat in a runaway greenhouse effect, making it the hottest planet in the Solar System. The atmosphere is composed primarily of carbon dioxide with clouds of sulfuric acid. Beneath the dense clouds lies a rocky surface covered in volcanoes, vast lava plains, and mountain ranges.
Atmospheric Composition
Cosmic Weight & Age Matrix
70 kg Human Weight
63.3 kg
0.907x Earth Gravity
20 Earth Years Equivalent
32.5 Years
Venus Orbital Years (225 Days)
Escape Velocity
10.36 km/s
0.93x Earth Escape Velocity
Scientific Discoveries
- Thick clouds of sulfuric acid and dust reflect most of the Sun's light, while carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps the Sun's heat, causing a runaway greenhouse effect.
- A day on Venus (243 Earth days) is longer than its year (225 Earth days).
- It rotates backwards (retrograde rotation) compared to most other planets.
- The atmospheric pressure on the surface of Venus is 92 times greater than on Earth.
- Venus is one of the brightest objects in our night sky—second only to the Moon—and appears as either an evening or a morning star.
- Its clouds rain sulfuric acid, but this rain evaporates before it can reach the scorching hot surface.