♀Venus
The brightest planet in the night sky, known as the "Morning Star" and "Evening Star." Earth's twin, hiding a 460°C inferno beneath thick clouds.
- Distance from Sun
- 0.72 AU (about 108.2 million km)
- Diameter
- 12,104 km (0.95× Earth)
- Orbital period
- 225 days
- Rotation period
- 243 days (retrograde)
- Moons
- None
Science
The scienceVenus is closest to Earth in size and mass, earning it the nickname "Earth's twin," yet its conditions are the exact opposite. A thick carbon-dioxide atmosphere drives a runaway greenhouse effect that pushes its surface temperature to about 460°C, making it the hottest planet in the Solar System, with atmospheric pressure over 90 times that of Earth. It spins backwards (clockwise) and so slowly that a Venusian day is longer than its year. Shining brighter than anything but the Sun and Moon, it glows as the "Morning Star" in the western sky after sunset or the eastern sky before dawn.
Name & Myth
The story behind the nameBecause it shines so dazzlingly beautiful, Venus was given in the West the name of the goddess of love and beauty (the Greek Aphrodite). In East Asia it was long thought to be two different stars: the "Evening Star" when it rose in the west at dusk, and the "Morning Star" when it rose in the east at dawn. Matched to Metal among the Five Elements, it was called "Geum-seong," the Metal Star.