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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. The surface of Venus has many craters which were made by meteorites and asteroids crashing into the planet. Venus also has volcanoes. This planet 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 of love.

Facts about Venus:

• (1) Venus is about the same size as Earth.
• (2) Venus rotates in a retrograde (backward) direction.
• (3) At its closest, Venus is only 42 million kilometres (26million miles) from Earth.
• (4) Venus has a thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide. Atmospheric pressure at the surface is 90 times that of Earth.
• (5) Because Venus is nearer the Sun than Earth and has a very thick atmosphere, the surface temperature is extremely high, as much as 475° Celsius (900 ° Fahrenheit).
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