The average surface of Venus is less than a billion years old, and possibly as young as million years old — which is relatively young from a geological perspective. Venus is permanently shrouded in thick, toxic clouds of sulfuric acid that start at an altitude of 28 to 43 miles 45 to 70 kilometers.
The clouds smell like rotten eggs! Venus was the first planet explored by a spacecraft and was intensely studied early in the history of space exploration. Venus was also the first planet whose surface was reached by a spacecraft from Earth.
The intense heat means landers have only survived for a couple of hours. Phosphine, a possible indicator of microbial life, has been observed in the clouds. Venus rotates backward on its axis compared to most planets in our solar system. This means the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east, opposite of what we see on Earth.
It was called the most beautiful star in the sky by Homer, author of "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" — two of the oldest and most important works in Greek literature. In , British pop group Bananarama had a No. More recently, Venus has been a backdrop for video games such as Transhuman Space, Battlezone, and Destiny. Even though Mercury is closer to the Sun, Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system. Its thick atmosphere is full of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, and it has clouds of sulfuric acid.
The atmosphere traps heat, making it feel like a furnace on the surface. In addition to being extremely hot, Venus is unusual because it spins in the opposite direction of Earth and most other planets. It also has a very slow rotation making its day longer than its year. The Latest. Full Moon Guide: November - December But since the discovery of the telescope, and the beginning of the space age, scientists have really been able to discover Venus.
Here are articles about two planets in the Solar System that were actually discovered in recent times. Want more information on Venus? Listen to it here, Episode Venus. Skip to content. Like this: Like Loading Previous Post Previous Volume of Venus. This gave scientists their first look under Venus's thick cloud layer.
Venus's harsh atmosphere means that spacecraft don't last long on its surface. Venera 13, a probe from the former Soviet Union's Venera programme , has so far lasted the longest by functioning for just over two hours after landing. It provided some of the only photographs of the Venusian surface to date. The Russian space agency Roscosmos has proposed Venera-D, an orbiter and lander, being considered for launch in - although the mission is not yet confirmed.
The ESA's satellite Venus Express, which launched from Kazakhstan in , was in operation for over eight years, far exceeding the initial planned life of around Earth days. This spacecraft orbited the planet, conducting a comprehensive study of the atmosphere until it exhausted its fuel supply in The probe flew past the planet in and failed to enter orbit.
An attempt at re-entry was scheduled for and succeeded - Akatasuki is still in operation and gathering data on Venus's atmosphere. Get email updates about our news, science, exhibitions, events, products, services and fundraising activities. You must be over the age of Privacy notice. Smart cookie preferences. Change cookie preferences Accept all cookies. Skip to content. Read later. You don't have any saved articles. By Emily Osterloff.
Explore facts about the planet closest to Earth. How big is Venus? How hot is Venus? How far from the Sun is Venus? What is a transit of Venus? How long is a day on Venus? Venus has no moons or rings. What is Venus's atmosphere made of? Who discovered Venus? Fact file Space Volcanoes. Explore space Discover more about the natural world beyond Earth's stratosphere. Blast off.
A gas has been found in the clouds of Venus that could have been created by microbes. Explore facts about the biggest and hottest object in the solar system.
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