About Venus
The second planet from the Sun is Venus, and it is the closest planetary neighbour of Earth. It is also called the twin planet of Earth because it’s similar in size and density and is one of the four inner, terrestrial planets. Earth and Venus are not identical twins, though there are fundamental differences between the two different worlds.
Filled with carbon dioxide, Venus has a thick, toxic atmosphere, and it’s everlastingly covered in thick, yellow clouds of sulfuric acid, which causes a huge greenhouse effect on the planet. Even though Mercury is closer to the Sun, in the solar system, Venus is the hottest planet. The surface temperature on Venus is around 471 degrees Celsius which is hot enough to melt lead. The surface of the planet is rusty in colour, and it’s scattered with big mountains and thousands of large volcanoes.
The pressure at the surface of Venus is about 90-92 times that of Earth, similar to the pressure a mile below the ocean on Earth.
Another huge difference from Earth is that Venus rotates towards the back on its axis. This means that the Sun sets in the east and rises in the west on Venus.
Earth’s Twin – Venus is Very Similar to, but also Very Different from Earth
Venus is the closest twin of Earth among all the planets in the solar system. The composition of Venus and Earth is largely the same, and the two bodies are nearly equal in size. The orbit of Venus is also the closest to the orbit of Earth. Both the planets have comparatively young surfaces and thick atmospheres with clouds.
However, Venus’ clouds are typically made of poisonous sulfuric acid, and Earth’s atmosphere is usually produced by microbes. These two planets are similar on a basic level but are also different from each other when we talk about other aspects.
Important Questions on Venus
1) A Day on Venus is longer than a year. Is it true or false?
The above statement is true because to complete one orbit of the Sun and to rotate once on its axis, Venus takes a longer time, that is, around 243 Earth days, to rotate once on its axis. The orbit of the planet around the Sun takes 225 Earth days as compared to the Earth’s rotation and a day on the surface of Venus takes 117 Earth days.
2) Explain why Venus is in the opposite direction to most other planets.
All other planets orbit the Sun in an anti-clockwise direction and spin anti-clockwise on their axis. Venus also orbits the Sun anti-clockwise, but its uncommon axis rotation is due to being upside down; this is also known as a retrograde rotation. One conceivable reason for this might be a collision with an asteroid or other object.
3) The second brightest natural object after the Moon is Venus.
a) True
b) False
Correct Option (a)
Explanation: The above statement is true because the planet Venus looks reflective and shiny because of the clouds of sulphuric acid in its atmosphere. Even during the day, its brightness makes it visible.
4) What is the surface pressure on Venus compared to the atmospheric pressure of Earth?
The surface pressures of Venus are around 90-92 bars making the planet unreceptive. That’s about the same as the pressure in the oceans of the Earth found at a depth of 1 km.
5) Why is Venus called a windy planet?
Winds that can reach super-fast speeds of around 724 Kmph an hour swipe across Venus in its middle cloud layer. These winds are faster than several tornadoes on Earth, and this is the reason why Venus is called a windy planet.
6) Venus has phases. Is it true or false?
The above statement is true because within Earth’s orbit, Venus orbits the Sun, and therefore the planet seems to have phases like the moon. Venus is in a full phase when it is on the opposite side of the Sun, and when it is between the Earth and the Sun, it appears in a new phase.
7) Write about the hostile environment conditions of Venus.
Since Venus is a terrestrial planet with a dense atmosphere, volcanoes and rocky terrain, its atmosphere is dominated by clouds of carbon dioxide and sulphuric acid-laden. Also, the dense gases present in the atmosphere give rise to unbearable surface pressures of around 90-92 bars making the planet unreceptive.
8) What is the reason behind Venus being a hellishly hot planet?
Venus is hotter than Mercury even though Venus is the second planet in the solar system, with surface temperatures of 465 degrees Celsius which is big enough to melt lead. The planet has a higher ability to reflect solar radiation, and this ability is also known as the albedo factor. Venus has a huge influence on the greenhouse effect because it does not have plants to recycle carbon dioxide. Therefore, its surface temperature rises continuously because of the dense gases that trap the heat energy.
9) Explain why Venus has two sunrises in a year.
After every 117 Earth days, the planet Venus has a sunrise. And hence two sunrises and a year have already passed, by the time a day ends on Venus.
10) The surface temperature on Venus can reach approximately_____.
a) 571°C
b) 671 °C
c) 871 °C
d) 471 °C
Correct Option (d)
Explanation: Venus has a high ability to reflect Sunlight, but it does not have trees and plants to recycle the hot gases, which eventually cause a greenhouse effect on the planet, and hence its surface temperature reaches approximately 471 °C.
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