Jaye R. Cashen
Basic Facts about Venus
 Venus is named after the roman
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goddess of love and beauty
Located between Earth and
Mercury
Covered with thick clouds that
create a greenhouse effect,
causing it to become very hot
Temperature ranges from
900F+/-50F
At its closest, Venus is
41,840,000 km away from earth
Atmosphere
 It’s atmosphere contains 95% Carbon dioxide, the other 5%
contains nitrogen, sulfuric acid, and traces of other elements
 It’s surface has a rocky, dusty, waterless expanse of
mountains, canyons, and plains with a 200 mile river of
hardened lava
Why does it have a Special Name?
 Venus is the brightest object
in the sky besides our Sun
and Moon. It has an
apparent magnitude of -4.6
(bright enough to cast
shadows) It is referred to as
the bright morning star
because at sunrise it appears
in the east . It is also known
as the evening star because
it appears in the west at
sunset. Venus cannot be
seen in the middle of the
night.
Our Retrograde Sister
 Being different from other
planets, Venus rotates from
east to west, engaging in
retrograde motion. So if
you were on Venus, the
Sun would rise in the west
and set in the east.
 Venus is very similar to the
size of the earth, which is
the reason why Venus is
known as Earth’s sister
planet.
Possible Internal Structure
 The similarity in size between Venus and Earth might
suggest that they share a similar internal structure
consisting of a core, mantel, and crust. Venus’s core is
believed to be partially liquid because the two planets have
been cooling at the same rate
 Pressures could be a lot lower in it’s deep interior than
earth, which explains its slightly smaller size
Changes of Venus
 Venus’s average distance
from the sun is 67.2 million
miles.
 It travels around the sun in
a nearly circular orbit
 When seen through a
telescope, “changes” can be
seen, which are phases
resembling those of the
moon
 When Venus is moving
toward the earth, it can be
seen in early evening. When
moving away from earth, it
is visible in the early
morning.
New Technology and Observations
 Until recently, what geologists knew about the surface of
Venus came from ground based radar observations, the
Soviet Unions Venera space probes and the USA’s Pioneer
probes. In 1990, the U.S launched the space probe Magellan,
which began orbiting Venus, using radar to map the planets
surface.
Well, hello there Hottie!
 Venus is by far the hottest planet!
 The temperature of it’s clouds averages to 55 degrees F, but the
temperature of the surface is about 870 F, which is hotter than
an oven.
 No plants or animals that live on earth could survive on Venus
and Astronomers doubt that there could ever be any life on
Venus.
What is a Greenhouse Effect?
 Venus’ high surface
temperature is believed to
be a cause of a greenhouse
effect. A greenhouse lets
in energy from the sun,
but prevents the heat from
escaping. Likewise, the
Sun’s energy filters into
Venus’ atmosphere but the
droplets of sulfuric acid in
its clouds and the carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere
trap the solar energy at the
planets surface
Other Interesting Facts
 Venus was the 1st planet to be
observed by a passing
spacecraft. The U.S Mariner 2
passed within 21,600 miles on
Dec 14, 1962. They measured
conditions on and near Venus.
 Mass is four 5ths that of earth
and gravity is slightly less than
earth . Example: an object
weighing 100lbs on earth
would weigh 88lbs on Venus
 Venus has been a known planet
for quite some time, there are
many references to “the bright
morning star “ in the bible in
relation to Jesus.