Object Analysis

Venus is the second planet from the Sun and is Earth's closest planetary neighbor. It is one of the four inner, terrestrial (or rocky) planets, and it is often called Earth's twin because it is similar in size and mass. However, despite these similarities, the surface conditions on Venus are radically different from those on Earth.

Venus has the densest atmosphere of the four terrestrial planets, consisting of more than 96% carbon dioxide. The atmospheric pressure at the planet's surface is about 92 times the sea level pressure of Earth, roughly the pressure found 900 m (3,000 ft) underwater on Earth. This atmosphere traps heat in a runaway greenhouse effect, making Venus the hottest planet in the Solar System, with surface temperatures of 462 °C (864 °F).

The planet is shrouded by an opaque layer of highly reflective clouds of sulfuric acid, preventing its surface from being seen from space in visible light. Radar mapping has revealed a surface covered in volcanoes and vast lava plains. Venus spins in the opposite direction (retrograde rotation) to most other planets, meaning the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east.