VENUS

Venus is the second planet from the Sun and is often referred to as Earth's "sister planet" due to its similar size and mass, with a diameter of about 12,104 kilometers. However, the conditions on Venus are vastly different from Earth’s, as it has a thick atmosphere composed mostly of carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulfuric acid, creating a runaway greenhouse effect. This greenhouse effect makes Venus the hottest planet in the solar system, with surface temperatures reaching around 465°C, even hotter than Mercury, despite being farther from the Sun. Venus has a slow rotation, taking about 243 Earth days to rotate once, and it rotates in the opposite direction to most planets, meaning the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east. Its surface is relatively young, with vast plains of basaltic lava, mountain ranges, and volcanic structures like the giant volcano Maat Mons. Despite being covered in thick clouds, radar mapping missions such as NASA's Magellan have revealed that Venus is home to numerous volcanoes, some of which may still be active.

More..