Ultraviolet image of Venus' clouds, as taken by
Pioneer Venus Orbiter, February 5, 1979. Photo courtesy of NASA.
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/image/planetary/venus/pvo_uv_790226.jpg
|
|
Next to Mercury is Venus. Venus and Earth are just about the same
size and Venus is our closest planetary neighbor, but the two
planets are quite different. For one thing, Venus does not have
oceans. Another big difference is the temperature; the temperature
of Venus reaches over 900 degrees Fahrenheit during the day! Unlike
Mercury, Venus has a thick atmosphere made of rapidly spinning
clouds. The clouds hold the heat in, which is why Venus gets so hot.
There are constant thunderstorms in the atmosphere. The clouds also
reflect sunlight, which makes Venus appear very bright. Venus is so
bright that it is called the Morning and Evening Star. Like Mercury,
the surface of Venus is covered with craters that were made by
meteorites and asteroids when they crashed into the planet. Venus
also has volcanoes. Venus (and Uranus) rotate clockwise, which is
the opposite direction of all the other planets in the solar system,
and it rotates so slowly on its axis that one Venus day is longer
than one Venus year!
Things to remember about Venus:
- Venus is Earth's closest neighboring planet.
- Venus is about the same size as Earth.
- Venus has a thick, hot atmosphere.
- Venus is bright.
- Venus rotates in the opposite direction from all the other
planets.
|
