ABOUT VENUS

Venus is the second planet from the Sun and is Earth’s closest planetary neighbor. It’s one of the four inner, terrestrial (or rocky) planets, and it’s often called Earth’s twin because it’s similar in size and density. These are not identical twin s, however – there are radical differences between the two worlds Venus has a thick, toxic atmosphere filled with carbon dioxide and it’s perpetually shrouded in thick, yellowish clouds of su lfuric acid that trap heat, causing a runaway greenhouse effect . It’s the hottest planet in our solar system, even though Merc ury is closer to the Sun. Surface temperatures on Venus are ab out 900 degrees Fahrenheit (475 degrees Celsius) – hot enough to melt lead.Another big difference from Earth – Venus rotates on its axis backward, compared to most of the other planets i n the solar system. This means that, on Venus, the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east, opposite to what we experi ence on Earth.