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SOLAR
SYSTEM
STARS
BLACK
HOLES
METEORS
AND METEORITES
ASTEROIDS
COMETS
GALAXIES
NEBULAE
GLOSSARY
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Venus:The Morning(or
Evening) star
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| Name of
the Planet |
Venus |
| Position
in Solar System |
Venus is
the second planet from the Sun. It is named after the Roman
goddess of love and beauty. |
| Constituents |
rocky,
ferrous |
| Atmosphere |
carbon
dioxide |
| Average
Distance from Sun |
108,000,000
km/67,000,000 mi |
| Orbit
Time |
0.615 Earth
years |
| Diameter |
12,100
km/7,510 mi |
| Average
Density (water=1) |
5.2 |
| Satellites |
none |
| Average
Surface Temp |
482ºC
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| Rotational
Period |
243.02 days |
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Description:
Venus is named after the Roman
goddess of beauty. It is seen in the morning or evening sky and
is hence called the Morning or Evening Star. Venus is also called
sister-planet of the Earth, for it resembles
the Earth's mass.
Venus is covered by thick
clouds made up of 75-95% of carbon dioxide, sulphuric acid fumes,
nitrogen and very little oxygen. The energy which is liberated from
the Sun is absorbed by the clouds and gases
present in the lower atmosphere of Venus and is prevented from escaping
into space. Thus increasing the temperature on the planet. This
is called the 'Green House Effect'.
The temperature of Venus is
about 482 degree C making Venus the hottest planet in the Solar
System. Its surface pressure is about 90 times that of the Earth.
Beneath the cloudy blanket, Venus encases a nickel-iron core, which
is surrounded by a rocky mantle and crust. These add up a mass that
is about four-fifths that of the Earth's mass.
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It is found that planet
Venus rotates in the retrograde direction [East to West].On Venus,
Sun rises in the West and sets in the East, exactly opposite as compared
to the Earth. The rotational period of Venus is about 244 Earth days
and revolution period is about 224 Earth days. If there were at all
Venusians staying on the planet, they might be celebrating their birthdays
every alternate day! Well, if you plan to visit Venus, then you need
not carry a pressure cooker with you because the 482 degree C temperature
on Venus and the 90 atms natural pressure will your cook your food
within seconds!!
Right:
Top : View of the northern hemisphere
of Venus.
Bottom: Computer-generated image of the surface of Venus.
Source:Hutchinson's Encyclopedia
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| The most exciting
observations of Venus have been made by space probes. The United States
has sent has send a number of space probes of the Mariner Group -
and the Russians, a number of the Venera Group. Space probes that
flied by Venus could take close-up photographs and gathered other
information, difficult to obtain otherwise from any Earth bound studies.
For instance, if the craft moves behind (as seen from the Earth),
it can send radio signals to the Earth that will initially pass through
the atmosphere of Venus, before it goes completely behind the planet.
Its radio signal passes first through the upper atmosphere and then
through the full thickness of the atmosphere before being blocked
out by the planet. As the space craft emerges from behind the planet,
its signal again passes through the successive layers of the atmosphere.
That radio signal is altered by the atmosphere, and the manner in
which it is altered by the atmosphere depends on the composition and
characteristic of the atmosphere. We can thus study the planet in
great detail. |
Interesting facts:
-The orbit of Venus is the most circular of any
planet in the Solar System
-The highest peak on Venus resides in the mountain range known as
Maxwell Montes, and has an elevation of 11580m
-The rotation of Venus was discovered in 1961, at the 64m Goldstone
Radio Telescope in the Majave Desert of California.
-Maat Mons is the highest volcano in Venus.
-Maxwell Montes is the only feature on Venus not names after a female.
-Venus has more dry land then any other planet in the Solar System.It
has three times the dry land area of Earth.
-Venus has a total of 1761 names feature, of which 870 are craters.
-If you could observe the Sun from the surface of Venus, it would
be 1.8 times as bright as from the Earth. |
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Historical Events
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| C.385 B.C. |
The Greek astronomer Heraclides
became the first person to suggest that Venus orbits the Sun |
| December 1610 |
Galileo observed the Venus'
progress through phases similar to those of the Moon. |
| 4 December 1639 |
The English astronomer Jeremiah
Horrocks, along with his friend William Crabtre became the first
person to observe a transit of Venus. |
| 1923 |
First Ultraviolet photographs of the
Cloud features of Venus
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| 1932 |
Carbon dioxide was first
discovered in the atmosphere of Venus by the atronomers - T.Dunham
and W.S.Adams. |
| 1958 |
Venus was first observed
at Radio Wavelengths |
| 12 February
1961 |
Venera 1 space
probe was launched by USSR. |
| 14 December
1962 |
Mariner 2 space
probe launched by US. |
| 5 January 1969 |
Venera 5 space
probe launched by USSR.Landed on Venus on 16 May 1969, and sent
back data for 53 minutes. |
| 8 June 1975 |
Venera 9 space
probe launched by USSR.On 22 october 1975, after a successful
soft-landing on the surface of Venud, this probe relayed 115
minutes of television pictures. |
| 6 June 1983 |
Venera 16 space
probe launched by USSR went into orbit around Venus on 14 October
1983. |
| 8 June 2004 |
A transit of
Venus with a duration of 06 h 12m will occur. |
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