Venus, the second rocky planet from the Sun. Many people know a few facts about Venus, but maybe you haven't heard about these weird phenomenon on Venus... There are over 1,600 active volcanoes on Venus. Possibly more that are smaller and scientists haven't spotted them. (No wonder Venus has an atmosphere full of carbon dioxide!) Of course this photo is enhanced to show heat, but that looks like an active volcano to me. With lava and everything coming down the sides. A day on Venus lasts 243 Earth days...that's a slow rotation. Can you imagine how long a Monday would be? Because Venus has so much volcanic activity and lots of carbon dioxide is in the atmosphere, Venus has the hottest daytime temperatures in the Solar System. The temperature can reach 870 degrees Fahrenheit...which is hot enough to melt lead. (Not the lead from your pencil, but metal, lead). Because the atmosphere on Venus is so thick, air pressure is much greater on the planet. It would feel like being a mile and a half under water! Because Venus is close to us, it reflects the Sun brightly. In fact it was so bright that a Canadian passenger jet mistook Venus for an oncoming plane and went into a deep dive to avoid the collision. Luckily no one was injured in the dive and the passengers were probably very grateful that nothing hit them....it was just a planet! A closer look at Venus: Note the direction of the rotation.... Venus transits the Sun, June 2012. Venus rising over the Moon. Look for Venus either in the morning or evening. It is the brightest object in the sky (beside the Sun) in the East or the West. Venus rising in the East before the Sun.
Venus has been tracked and speculated about for many years. The first person to train a telescope upon it was Galileo. He saw phases happening on Venus and because of his observations he changed the thinking of the world about our Solar System.
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |