Venus takes 243 Earth days to rotate on its axis, which is by far the slowest of any of
the major planets. And, because of this sluggish spin, its metal core cannot generate a
magnetic field similar to Earth's. The magnetic field of Venus is 0.000015 times that
of Earth's magnetic field.
If viewed from above, Venus rotates on its axis in a direction that's the opposite of most
planets'. That means on Venus, the sun would appear to rise in the west and set in the
east. On Earth, the sun appears to rise in the east and set in the west.
The Venusian year — the time it takes to orbit the sun — is about 225 Earth days long.
Normally, that would mean that days on Venus would be longer than years. However,
because of Venus' curious retrograde rotation, the time from one sunrise to the next is
only about 117 Earth days long. The last time we saw Venus transit in front of the sun
was in 2012, and the next time will be in 2117.
Related: Venus Transit 202: Amazing Photos by Skywatchers
Here are some of Venus' orbit parameters, according to NASA:
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Average distance from the sun: 67,237,910 miles (108,208,930 km). By comparison: 0.723
times that of Earth.
Perihelion (closest approach to sun): 66,782,000 miles (107,476,000 km). By comparison:
0.730 times that of Earth.
Aphelion (farthest distance from sun): 67,693,000 miles (108,942,000 km). By comparison:
0.716 times that of Earth.
WHAT IS VENUS' CLIMATE LIKE?
The very top layer of Venus' clouds zips around the planet every four Earth days,
propelled by hurricane-force winds traveling roughly 224 mph (360 kph). This
superrotation of the planet's atmosphere, some 60 times faster than Venus itself rotates,
may be one of Venus' biggest mysteries.
The clouds also carry signs of meteorological events known as gravity waves, caused
when winds blow over geological features, causing rises and falls in the layers of air.
The winds at the planet's surface are much slower, estimated to be just a few miles per
hour.
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Unusual stripes in the upper clouds of Venus are dubbed "blue absorbers" or "ultraviolet
absorbers" because they strongly absorb light in the blue and ultraviolet wavelengths.
These are soaking up a huge amount of energy — nearly half of the total solar energy
the planet absorbs. As such, they seem to play a major role in keeping Venus as hellish
as it is. Their exact composition remains uncertain; Some scientists suggest it could
even be life, although many things would need to be ruled out before that conclusion is
accepted.
Related: The 10 Weirdest Facts About Venus
The Venus Express spacecraft, a European Space Agency mission that operated between
2005 and 2014, found evidence of lightning on the planet, which formed within clouds of
sulfuric acid, unlike Earth's lightning, which forms in clouds of water. Venus' lightning is
unique in the solar system. The lightning is of particular interest to scientists because it's
possible that electrical discharges from lightning could help form the molecules needed
to jumpstart life, which is what some scientists believe happened on Earth.
A long-lived cyclone on Venus, first observed in 2006, appears to be in constant flux,
with elements constantly breaking apart and reforming.