Venus

Venus
Type	Planet
Orbital Characteristics
Semi-major axis	108,210,000 km (0.7233 AU) 0.723 Earths
Apoapsis	108,941,000 km (0.728 AU) 0.716 Earths
Periapsis	107,470,000 km (0.7183 AU) 0.731 Earths
Orbital period	224.701 days 1.924 Venus days
Average orbital speed	35.02 km/s 1.176 Earths
Inclination	3.39471° to Ecliptic 3.86° to Sun's Equator)
Satellites	None
Orbiting to	Sun
Physical Characteristics
Mean diameter	12,103.6 km 0.942 Earths
Mean radius	6,051.8 km
Surface area	460,234,317 km² 0.9023 Earths
Mass	4.8763 × 10²⁴ kg 0.815 Earths
Gravity	8.87 m/s² (Equator) 0.905 g
Surface temperature	mean 464°C min ≠-175/-173°C - max ≠475°C
Equatoral Circumference	38,024.6 km 0.9498 Earths
Equatoral Inclination	177,3°
Mean density	5,243 g/cm³ 0.951 Earths
Escape Velocity	37,296 km/h 0.9258 Earths
Atmosphere
Pressure	9,6 MPa 89.7029 Earths
Composition	­ 96.5% Carbon dioxide 3.5% Nitrogen 0.015% Sulfur dioxide 0.007% Argon 0.002% Water vapor 0.0017% Carbon monoxide 0.0012% Helium 0.0007% Neon Carbonyl sulfide Hydrogen chloride Hydrogen fluoride

Overview

Venus is the second planet from the Sun in our Solar System and is often referred to as Earth's "sister planet" due to their similar size, mass, and composition. Named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty, Venus is shrouded in a thick, toxic atmosphere that creates a runaway Greenhouse effect, making it the hottest planet in the Solar System.

Physical Characteristics

• Diameter: 12,104 km (7,521 miles)
• Mass: 4.867 × 10^24 kg (0.815 Earth masses)
• Density: 5.24 g/cm³
• Surface Gravity: 8.87 m/s² (0.904 g)
• Rotation Period: 243 Earth days (retrograde rotation)
• Orbital Period: 224.7 Earth days
• Average Distance from Sun: 108.2 million km (0.72 AU)

Atmosphere

Venus has a dense atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide (96.5%) and nitrogen (3.5%), with traces of sulfur dioxide, water vapor, and other gases. The atmospheric pressure at the surface is about 92 times that of Earth’s, roughly equivalent to the pressure found 900 meters (3,000 feet) underwater on Earth.

• Temperature: Average surface temperature is around 467°C (872°F).
• Cloud Composition: Thick clouds of sulfuric acid.
• Weather: Extreme conditions with powerful winds reaching speeds of up to 360 km/h (224 mph) in the upper atmosphere.

Surface and Geological Features

Venus' surface is obscured by its thick clouds, but radar mapping has revealed a varied and rugged landscape with mountains, plains, and thousands of volcanic features. Key surface features include:

• Maxwell Montes: The highest mountain range, towering about 11 km (7 miles) above the average planetary radius.
• Atla Regio and Beta Regio: Large highland areas with significant volcanic activity.
• Impact Craters: Relatively few due to the planet's young surface, estimated to be 300-600 million years old, suggesting a history of volcanic resurfacing.

Exploration

Venus has been the focus of numerous missions due to its proximity to Earth and intriguing characteristics:

• Pioneer Venus Project: NASA's missions in the late 1970s that included an Orbiter and multiple Probes to study the atmosphere and surface.
• Venera Program: A series of Soviet missions that successfully landed on Venus and transmitted data back to Earth.
• Magellan: A NASA mission that mapped 98% of Venus' surface using radar in the early 1990s.
• Akatsuki: A Japanese mission currently studying Venus’ atmosphere and weather patterns since 2015.

Future Missions

Interest in Venus continues with several planned missions aimed at uncovering more about its atmosphere, geology, and potential for past habitability:

• VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy): A NASA mission set to launch in the late 2020s to map Venus’ surface in high resolution.
• DAVINCI+ (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging Plus): Another NASA mission aimed at studying the planet's atmosphere and surface composition.
• EnVision: A European Space Agency mission planned for the 2030s to study Venus' geological activity and atmosphere.

Trivia

• Venus exhibits a phenomenon called "Retrograde rotation," meaning it rotates in the opposite direction to most planets in the Solar System, including Earth.
• A day on Venus (one full rotation) is longer than its year (one orbit around the Sun).
• Despite its harsh conditions, scientists speculate about the possibility of microbial life existing in the more temperate cloud layers.
• The planet Venus has been annexed by an unrecognized state, the Holy Luven Empire.

Venus remains one of the most enigmatic and challenging planets to study, offering vital insights into planetary evolution and the conditions that can lead to extreme greenhouse effects.