The Hottest Planet

Venus is often referred to as Earth's sister because of its similar size, however it very different when it comes to many other aspects. Venus is named after the Roman goddess of love and is .7 AU (Astronomical Units) away from the Sun. Venus is the second planet from the Sun and Earth’s closest planetary neighbor.

Venus Facts

A year on Venus is 225 Earth days and a day on Venus is 243 Earth days making a day longer than a year
Its thick atmosphere is full of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, and it has clouds of sulfuric acid trapping heat and making Venus the hottest planet in our solar system
Surface temperatures can reach up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit which is hot enough to melt lead
Venus rotates on its axis backwards and very slowly
Venus has a solid surface covered in dome-like volcanoes, rifts, and mountains, with expansive volcanic plains and vast, ridged plateaus
Venus was the first planet explored by a spacecraft and was intensely studied early in the history of space exploration
Venus' air pressure at its surface is more than 90 times that of Earth
- this is similar to about a mile below the ocean on Earth
Venus is the brightest object in the night sky after our own Moon
While Earth spins on its axis at a 23 degree tilt, Venus only has a 3 degree tilt meaning that there are no seasons
Play with the Venus interactive below to explore the planet from different perspectives.