What is Venus? The Hottest Planet Of Our Solar System.

What Is Venus? 

Image Credit: NASA. Venus.

Did you know about the hottest planet in our Solar System?

It is Venus. Did you know what is Venus? And why is it extremely hot?

Venus is the second closest planet to Sun in our Solar System. It's also called as '' Earth's twin sister'' because its size is very similar to Earth's.

How Is It Positioned, Orbits and Rotates?

It's located between Mercury and Earth. Its diameter is about 12,104 km and its approximately 108 million km away from the Sun. It orbits the Sun in 225 Earth days (1 Venus year). It completes its rotation in 243 Earth days (1 Venus day).

What Is Its Composition and Physical Characteristics?

Image Credit: NASA. Venus's Surface.

 It is a rocky and terrestrial planet, covered with thick clouds of sulfuric acid which makes direct observation impossible in direct light. Its atmosphere is extremely dense and thick composed mostly of carbon dioxide (95.5%), nitrogen, sulfur dioxide and other gases. It is an extremely hot planet due to greenhouse effect which makes it hotter than Mercury. There is no water on it and a water droplet would be vapored due to Venus's extreme hot temperatures. The thick clouds covering Venus's sky have droplets of sulfuric acid which reflects 70% of the sunlight and makes Venus brighter in the sky.  Venus has many vast volcanic plains and also has many active volcanoes. Venus has no natural satellites which means it has no Moons. It is the brightest object in the sky after Sun and Moon. 

Exploration Of Venus:

Image Credit: NASA. The landing place of Venera. 

Venus is observed since ancient times because it appears bright at the morning and evening that's why it was called as '' the morning star'' or '' the evening star''. In modern times, the Mariner 2 took a flyby of Venus in 1962 by US. In 1970, Venera-7 was the first spacecraft which landed on the Venus's surface and send images to Earth by Soviet Union. Later in 1990, Magallan by NASA used radar mapping to create detailed surface maps of Venus through the thick clouds. The interest of exploration of Venus is still alive that is why many future Venus exploration programs are being planned. 

Mythology:

In many cultures,

Venus was known as the goddess of love and beauty. In Roman mythology, it was Venus. In Greek mythology, it was Aphrodite. It has inspired art, poetry, calendars and rituals.

Importance:

1.How It Helps Us in Understanding Earth's Climate?

Venus helps scientists to study the greenhouse effect. Its thick carbon dioxide atmosphere traps heat and tells us that how can carbon dioxide effect our planet's climate. Its study gives us warnings that if we did not stop global warming so it will destroy our planet.

2. Studying Planetary Evolution:

Venus and Earth are similar in size, yet they both have different climate and atmosphere which helps scientists to learn how planets form, change and become uninhabitable.

3. Is It a Good Platform for Testing Space Technologies?

Venus has extremely hot temperatures, clouds and surface which is the best testing platform for modern space machineries test.

4. How Is It Important for Astronomical History?

Venus has played a key role in the history of astronomy for years which helped astronomers study the Solar System well like Transit of Venus.

5.What Is Its Cultural and Mythological Significance?

Venus played an important role in many cultures and inspired myths, poetry, art and rituals.

Facts About Venus:

• On Venus, the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east due to Venus's opposite rotation from other planets.
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• Hottest planet in the Solar System.
• There is no existence of liquid water.
• Its orbital path is nearly like a perfect circle.
• It has the highest mountain named ''Maxwell Montes'' which is 11km tall.
• Its air pressure is this much high that a human would have crushed from it.
• It may have oceans billions of years ago.
• The Mayans tracked Venus more accurately than the Moon.
• There are no seasons there due to its upright tilt of 3 degrees.
• Venus could help us understand climate disasters on Earth.
• Venus also has phases like the Moon.
• Venus rotates this much slowly that the clouds in its atmosphere spins faster than it.
• If you stood on Venus, so the sky would look orange or yellow.
• Venus's louds smell like rotten eggs because of hydrogen sulfide and sulfuric acid in its atmosphere.
• Venus has a thick ''carbon dioxide snow'' layer in its highland regions.
• Venus might also experience ''heat lightening'' or ''aurora like glow''.
• The Venera Landers lasted only for a few minutes or a couple of hours which shows us how extreme and harsh its surface is.
• If you stood on Venus, you would be crushed, cooked or poisoned.
• A compass would not work on Venus.
• It rains acid on Venus, but the droplets evaporate before touching the ground.
• There might be signs of microbial life in Venus's clouds.
• It could experience heat quakes instead of earthquakes.
• Its magnetic field is almost non-existence.
• Its atmosphere reaches into the space and forms a tail which looks like a comet.
• Many plains and structures showed an illusion of alienlike faces which made theories of existence of aliens on Venus.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Venus is a planet with extreme heat, retrograde motion and many rare things which makes it a super rare and unique planet in our Solar System.