Venus

Position:	Second from Sun
Distance from Sun:	108,200,000 km (.72 AU)
Venus Day:	243 Earth Days
Venus Year:	224.7 Earth Days
Orbital Speed:	35 km/sec
Eccentricity of Orbit:	0.007
Satellites:	None
Diameter:	12,100 km
Mass:	4.869e24 kg
Major Atmospheric Gas:	Carbon Dioxide

Venus is the sixth largest planet in the Solar System.
Similar in size, density, and mass, Venus and Earth often referred to as sister planets. However the surface and atmosphere of the two planets are drastically different.
The atmosphere of Venus is primarily composed of carbon dioxide (96%) and nitrogen (3%), with traces of other gases and little to no water vapor.
Venus would have a cold climate if it weren't for the high concentration of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere (96%). The high albedo on Venus reflects the majority of the solar radiation that reaches it, but carbon dioxide, a well known greenhouse gas, keeps the planet extremely warm. In fact the surface temperature of Venus is over 480 degrees C (900 degrees F).
The clouds in Venus' atmosphere are composed of sulfuric acid which causes the planet to reflect 65% of the sunlight that reaches it. Thus, Venus the third brightest object in the sky (third only to the Sun and the Moon).
The atmospheric pressure on the surface of Venus is that 90 times the pressure on Earth..
The surface of Venus is very dry with flat plains, highland regions, and depressions.
The interior of Venus is composed of a central iron core and a molten rocky mantle, similar to the composition of Earth.
The rotation of Venus is very slow. A day on Venus (243 Earth days) is longer than a year (224.7 Earth days). The rotation is also opposite from that of Earth, with the Sun rising in the West.
Venus has been visited by over 20 spacecrafts. The first visit was made by Mariner 2 in 1962. The Soviet Venera 7, which visited Venus in 1970, was the first spacecraft to land on another planet. A recent visit made by the Magellan, launched in 1989, produced high resolution maps of the surface using radar.
Venus is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty.

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