Venus: Earth's Mysterious Neighbor

Venus, often called Earth's "sister planet" due to its similar size and mass, is a world of extremes and mysteries. This second planet from the Sun has intrigued scientists and sky - watchers alike, offering a unique perspective on planetary evolution and the conditions that can shape a world.

With a diameter of about 12,103.6 kilometers, Venus is only slightly smaller than Earth. However, its similarities to our planet end there. Venus has a thick atmosphere primarily composed of carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulfuric acid. This dense atmosphere traps heat in a runaway greenhouse effect, resulting in surface temperatures that can reach up to 464°C (867°F), hot enough to melt lead. The atmospheric pressure on Venus is also about 92 times that of Earth, equivalent to the pressure felt nearly a kilometer deep in Earth's oceans.

Beneath its inhospitable atmosphere, Venus has a rocky surface. Radar mapping, such as that conducted by the Magellan spacecraft in the 1990s, has revealed a landscape dotted with volcanoes, some of which may still be active. In fact, Venus has more volcanoes than any other planet in the solar system, with over 1,600 major volcanoes and volcanic features identified so far. The planet also has vast plains, highlands, and deep depressions. One of its most prominent features is the large highland region called Aphrodite Terra, which is about the size of South America. Despite its harsh conditions, Venus continues to be a subject of intense study. Scientists hope to understand how a planet so similar to Earth in some ways could have evolved into such a radically different world, and what lessons we can learn from Venus about the stability of our own planet's climate and environment.