VENUS FAQ

Yes, Venus can often be seen with the naked eye and is the third brightest natural object in the sky after the Sun and the Moon, except when there is a supernova, comet or asteroid "nearby". It is often referred to as the "Morning Star" or "Evening Star" because it can be seen just before sunrise or just after sunset.

Both Earth and Venus are terrestrial planets situated within the Sun's Habitable Zone. Venus is the second planet from the Sun (Earth is the third) and our closest planetary neighbor. It is roughly the same size, density, mass, volume, and age as Earth, so it is generally known as our “Sister Planet”. Observations also suggest that Venus may have been home to water oceans in its early history, leading some to speculate that it may once have been habitable, like Earth.

However, despite all of the similarities, Venus is a quite hostile planet for human life, having suffered through runaway greenhouse effects that created a dense atmosphere of carbon dioxide, surface pressure more than 90 times Earth’s, and surface temperatures that could melt lead (900F / 475C). This has earned Venus its other nickname of our “Evil Twin”.

The ancient Romans could observe 7 bright objects in the sky: the Sun, the Moon, and the 5 brightest planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). These planets were all named after their most important gods. Venus, the third brightest object after the Sun and Moon, was named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty, and is the only planet named after a female god.

Further research and missions are needed to confirm this. However, recent studies have suggested the presence of phosphine gas in the planet's atmosphere, which could be a sign of microbial life.

The surface of Venus is covered in volcanic terrain, with large shield volcanoes, lava plains, and impact craters. The planet's surface is also marked by thousands of small volcanic features known as "pancake domes”.

Venus has a thick, toxic atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide with clouds of sulfuric acid. The atmosphere is also known for its intense greenhouse effect, which traps heat and contributes to the planet's high surface temperature. There are constant winds of more than 200 mph (320 kph) and cause the entire atmosphere to circle the planet every four days.

Venus rotates on its axis extremely slowly, making its day as long as 243 Earth days. On the other hand, it revolves around the Sun quite quickly, making its year as long as 225 Earth days. This means that its day is actually longer than its year.

Venus is unique within our solar system in that it rotates clockwise on its axis, which is the inverse of Earth and every other planet. This means that on Venus the Sun rises in the West and sets in the East.

Unlike Earth, Venus does not have its own internally generated magnetic field. However, it does have a relatively weak induced magnetic field, which is created when the Sun’s magnetic field interacts with the planet’s outer atmosphere.