By Sakshi Sah
Published Oct 19, 2024

Hindustan Times
Trending

Photo Credit: NASA

6 beautiful images of Venus: The hottest planet in the solar system

Venus is the second planet from the Sun and is often called Earth's "sister planet" because they are similar in size and structure.

Photo Credit: NASA

Despite not being the closest planet to the Sun, Venus is the hottest due to its thick atmosphere, which traps heat.

Photo Credit: NASA

Venus has a dense atmosphere made mostly of carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulphuric acid, making it extremely hot and toxic.

Photo Credit: NASA

The surface of Venus can reach temperatures of around 465°C (869°F), hot enough to melt lead.

Unlike most planets, Venus spins in the opposite direction of its orbit, meaning the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east.

Photo Credit: NASA

A day on Venus (one complete rotation) lasts longer than a year. It takes about 243 Earth days for Venus to rotate once.

Photo Credit: NASA

The thick clouds on Venus reflect sunlight, making the planet very bright in the sky, often visible just before sunrise or after sunset.

Photo Credit: NASA

NASA suggests that Venus has many volcanoes, some possibly still active, shaping much of its landscape.

Photo Credit: NASA

NASA and other space agencies have sent several spacecraft to Venus to study its atmosphere and surface, like the Pioneer Venus mission and the Magellan spacecraft.

Photo Credit: NASA

Landing on Venus is difficult because of its extreme heat and crushing atmospheric pressure, which can destroy spacecraft within hours.

Photo Credit: Flickr