Venus: The Second Planet from the Sun

1036 Words3 Pages

Introduction:
Venus, the second planet closest to the Sun and Earth’s closest neighbor, is known for its many wonders and harsh conditions. Venus is possibly the first planet discovered by humans and is said to have been first discovered in 17 B.C. by Babylonian astronomers. Venus is the first planet to be explored by spacecraft although many of these attempts have proven unsuccessful. Fortunately, more than twenty of the spacecraft explorations been proven successful, and through those we have gained knowledge about this wonder of the night sky.

Characteristics:
Known as “Earth’s twin”, Venus is very similar to Earth in composition, size, mass, and gravity. However, their temperatures are not so similar. The average temperature on Venus is a toasty 460 degrees Celsius (864 degrees Fahrenheit), as opposed to the cool 14 degrees Celsius (58.3 degrees Fahrenheit) Earth experiences. Needless to say, it would not be an ideal vacation spot. Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system, thanks to the runaway greenhouse effect. The atmosphere of Venus is also majorly different from Earth. It is composed of 97% carbon dioxide and 3% sulfuric acid, with an atmospheric pressure that is ninety-two times that of Earth. This pressure would be the same as being in the lowest depths of the ocean on Earth. However, like Earth, Venus is one of the four terrestrial planets, meaning it has a rocky surface, and a surface area of 177.7 million square miles. The gravity, which is 8.87 meters per second is very similar to Earth. Its mass is also very similar, 4.867E24 kilograms, and a density of 5.20 grams per centimeter.
Unlike most of the planets in the solar system, Venus has no rings, nor does it have any moons. “Named for the Roman goddes...

... middle of paper ...

...opean Space Agency. ESA, 28 Nov. 2007. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. .
Braun, Bruce . "Is There Life On Venus?." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 3 July 2013. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. .
"Nineplanets.org - Nineplanets - Ideasurl." . Nine Planets, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. .
"Venus: Overview." Solar System Exploration. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. .
"Venus, Second Planet from the Sun, Brightest Planet in Solar System." Space.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. .

More about Venus: The Second Planet from the Sun

Open Document