Venus facts: Everything you need to know about the 2nd planet from the sun References By Chelsea Gohd , Charles Q. Choi Contributions from Daisy Dobrijevic last updated 26 February 2024 ...

Venus, the second planet from the sun and Earth's nearest planetary neighbor is an oddity in many ways. The hot, hellish planet spins backward and might even host life in its impenetrable clouds.

Venus is Earth's next-door neighbor and could be Earth's twin, if not for the sulfuric acid clouds and hellish surface temperatures.

The planet's orbit is almost a perfect circle but is slightly tipped relative to Earth's path around our star. This means it's incredibly hard for the sun, Venus, and Earth to align in the right way.

Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system. This hostile world is covered in thousands of volcanoes and is encased in a dense layer of toxic clouds, swept along by constant hurricane-force winds.

The surface of Venus is now far less-inviting. It is the hottest planet in the solar system—scorching surface temperatures clock in at 880 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot enough to melt lead.

Other Venus planet facts Venus basic info. Venus is the second planet from the Sun, only behind Mercury. It’s named after a Roman goddess, and is commonly seen from Earth.

In 1990 NASA’s unmanned Magellan spacecraft became the first mission to orbit the planet Venus. It hitched a ride into Earth orbit in the payload bay of the Space Shuttle Atlantis in 1989.

Venus; Planet Venus: Quiz Yourself on Venus Facts. Quizzes. By Space.com Staff published 2 May 2012 When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Other Venus planet facts Venus basic info. Venus is the second planet from the Sun, only behind Mercury. It’s named after a Roman goddess, and is commonly seen from Earth.