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Venus: Earth's Twin
Venus is called the Evening Star. It is called this because it looks so bright to us from Earth.

Venus and Earth are almost the same size. Venus is the closest planet to Earth, but it does not have oceans or human life like Earth. Venus gets so hot during the day that it could melt a lead cannonball. The temperature rises to 484 degrees Celsius on the side facing the Sun. Venus has very thick, rapidly spinning clouds which cover its surface. These clouds hold heat in. That is why Venus gets so hot. These clouds also reflect sunlight. That is why Venus appears so bright to us here on Earth. There are constant thunderstorms in these clouds. Venus has several large inactive volcanoes. Much of the surface is covered by old lava flows from these volcanoes.

Venus is unusual because it rotates in a direction opposite that of all of the other planets. Venus spins very slowly as it orbits the Sun.

Venus

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A Question

Why does the surface of Venus get so hot?

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The Facts
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The Answer
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The StarChild site is a service of the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC), within the Astrophysics Science Division (ASD) at NASA/ GSFC.

StarChild Authors: The StarChild Team
StarChild Graphics & Music: Acknowledgments
StarChild Project Leader: Dr. Laura A. Whitlock
Curator: J.D. Myers
Responsible NASA Official: Amber Straughn