Since Earth and Venus are quite similar in gravity and mass, Venus, the second planet from the Sun, is often considered Earth’s twin sister. However, the two planets are different and unique in their way.
Venus is dazzling, bright and beautiful to look at. But, it is also dangerous and unique in many ways.
Venus Spins the Opposite Way from the Other Planets
All of the planets, except for the Venus, rotate anti-clockwise. It is only Venus that revolves in the other direction. Scientists are still baffled as to why Venus rotates so strangely. However, earlier collisions with large bodies or solar tides operating on Venus’s dense atmosphere are suspected.
A day on Venus is longer than a year.
As bizarre as it may sound, it is only true. Venus takes a longer time to complete one orbit around the Sun than it does to revolve once on its axis. In simple words, it takes Venus 243 Earth days to revolve once, which is the longest rotation of any planet in the Solar System, and only 224 Earth days to orbit the Sun.
Although being further away from Sun, Venus is hotter than Mercury.
Mercury is the closest planet to Sun. The temperature there is quite boiling. But, Mercury is not the hottest planet in the Solar System. It is Venus for its average temperature is 462°C. This is due to the high concentration of carbon dioxide in Venus’ atmosphere, which creates a strong greenhouse effect. The atmosphere traps heat like a blanket, causing the planet’s temperature to be far higher than its proximity to the Sun would suggest.
After the Moon, Venus is the second brightest object in the night sky.
Venus is also a very bright and beautiful planet. The clouds of sulphuric acid in the Venus’ atmosphere make it shine in its lustre. It is so bright that it is, at times, visible even during the day. If the sky is clear, you could probably see Venus one day.
Read Further: Venus
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