The planet Venus is our closest neighbor. Venus comes closer to the Earth than any other planet, at a distance of 40 million km or closer. The distance from the Sun to Venus is 108,000,000 km, or 0.723 AU.
The dimensions of Venus and the mass are close to those of the earth: the diameter of the planet is only 5% less than the diameter of the Earth, the mass is 0.815 of the mass of the Earth, and the force of gravity is 0.91 of the earth. In this case, Venus rotates very slowly around its axis in the direction opposite to the rotation of the Earth (ie, from east to west).
Despite the fact that in the XVII-XVIII centuries. various astronomers have repeatedly reported the discovery of the natural satellites of Venus. It is currently known that there are none on the planet.
Atmosphere of Venus
Unlike other terrestrial planets, the study of Venus with telescopes turned out to be impossible, since even M. V. Lomonosov (1711 - 1765), on June 6, 1761, observing the passage of the planet against the background of the Sun, he established that Venus is surrounded by "a noble air atmosphere, such (if only not more) than is poured around our globe."
The atmosphere of the planet extends to a height 5500 km, and its density in 35 times greater than the density of the earth. Atmospheric pressure in 100 times higher than on Earth, and reaches 10 million Pa. The structure of the planet's atmosphere is shown in Fig. one.
The last time the passage of Venus against the background of the solar disk in Russia, astronomers, scientists and amateurs, were able to observe June 8, 2004. And on June 6, 2012 (that is, with an 8-year interval), this amazing phenomenon can be observed again. The next passage will take place only after 100 years.
Rice. 1. The structure of the atmosphere of Venus
In 1967, the Soviet interplanetary probe "Venera-4" for the first time transmitted information about the atmosphere of the planet, which consists of 96% carbon dioxide (Fig. 2).
Rice. 2. The composition of the atmosphere of Venus
Due to the high concentration of carbon dioxide, which, like a film, retains heat near the surface, a typical greenhouse effect is observed on the planet (Fig. 3). Thanks to the greenhouse effect near the surface of Venus, any existence of liquid water is excluded. The air temperature on Venus is approximately +500 °C. Under such conditions, organic life is excluded.
Rice. 3. Greenhouse effect on Venus
On October 22, 1975, the Soviet probe "Venera-9" landed on Venus and for the first time transmitted to Earth a television report from this planet.
General characteristics of the planet Venus
Thanks to Soviet and American interplanetary stations, it is now known that Venus is a planet with a complex relief.
Mountainous terrain with a height difference of 2-3 km, a volcano with a base diameter of 300-400 km, and
hundredth about 1 km, a huge hollow (1500 km long from north to south and 1000 km from west to east) and relatively flat areas. In the equatorial region of the planet there are more than 10 ring structures, similar to the craters of Mercury, with a diameter of 35 to 150 km, but strongly smoothed and flat. In addition, there is a fault in the planet's crust 1500 km long, 150 km wide and about 2 km deep.
In 1981, the Venera-13 and Venera-14 stations examined soil samples from the planet and transmitted the first color photographs of Venus to earth. Because of this, we know that the surface rocks of the planet are close in composition to terrestrial sedimentary rocks, and the sky above the horizon of Venus is orange-yellow-green.
At present, human flights to Venus are unlikely, but at an altitude of 50 km from the planet, the temperature and pressure are close to conditions on Earth, so it is possible to create interplanetary stations here to study Venus and to recharge spacecraft.
At the center of the solar system is our day star - the Sun. Around it, together with their satellites, 9 large planets revolve:
- Mercury
- Venus
- Earth
- Jupiter
- Saturn
- Neptune
- Pluto
The age of the solar system was determined by scientists on the basis of laboratory isotopic analysis of terrestrial rocks, as well as meteors and samples of lunar soil delivered to Earth by spacecraft. It turned out that the oldest of them are about 4.5 billion years old. Therefore, it is believed that all the planets were formed at approximately the same time - 4.5 - 5 billion years ago.
Venus, the second planet closest to the Sun, is almost the same size as the Earth, and its mass is more than 80% of the Earth's mass. Located closer to the Sun than our planet, Venus receives from it more than twice as much light and heat as the Earth. Still from the shady side on Venus frost prevails over 20 degrees below zero, since the sun's rays do not fall here for a very long time. She has very dense, deep and very cloudy atmosphere, preventing us from seeing the surface of the planet. Atmosphere - a gaseous shell, on Venus, was discovered by M.V. Lomonosov, in 1761, which also showed the similarity of Venus with the Earth.
The average distance from Venus to the Sun is 108.2 million km; it is practically constant, since the orbit of Venus is closer to a circle than that of any other planet. At times, Venus approaches the Earth at a distance of less than 40 million km.
The ancient Greeks gave this planet the name of their best goddess Aphrodite, but the Romans later changed it in their own way and called the planet Venus, which, in general, is the same thing. However, this did not happen immediately. At one time it was believed that there were two planets in the sky at once. Rather, then there were still stars, one - dazzlingly bright, was visible in the morning, the other, the same - in the evening. They were even called differently, until the Chaldean astronomers, after long observations and even longer reflections, came to the conclusion that the star is still one, which does them credit as great specialists.
The light of Venus is so bright that if there is neither the Sun nor the Moon in the sky, it causes objects to cast shadows. However, when viewed through a telescope, Venus is disappointing, and it is not surprising that before recent years it was considered the "planet of secrets".
In 1930 there is some information about Venus. It has been found that its atmosphere consists mainly of carbon dioxide, which is able to act as a kind of blanket, trapping the heat of the sun. Two pictures of the planet were popular. One depicted the surface of Venus as almost completely covered in water, in which primitive life forms could develop - as it was on Earth billions of years ago. Another imagined Venus as a hot, dry and dusty desert.
The era of automatic space probes began in 1962, when the US spacecraft Mariner 2 passed close to Venus and transmitted information that confirmed that its surface was very hot. It was also found that the period of rotation of Venus around its axis - long, about 243 Earth days - is longer than the period of revolution around the Sun (224.7 days), therefore, on Venus, the "day" is longer than the year and the calendar is completely unusual.
We now know that Venus rotates in the opposite direction - from east to west, and not from west to east, like the Earth and most other planets. To an observer on the surface of Venus, the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east, although in reality the cloudy atmosphere completely covers the sky.
Mariner 2 was followed by a soft landing on the surface of Venus by several Soviet automatic vehicles descending by parachute through a dense atmosphere. At the same time, it was registered Maximum temperature about 5300C, and the surface pressure is almost 100 times greater than atmospheric pressure at sea level on Earth.
Mariner 10 approached Venus in February 1974 and transmitted the first images of the upper cloud layer. This apparatus only once passed near Venus - its main target was the innermost planet - Mercury. However, the images were of high quality and showed the striped structure of the clouds. They also confirmed that the rotation period of the upper cloud layer is only 4 days, so the structure of the atmosphere of Venus is not similar to that of the Earth.
Meanwhile, American radar studies have shown that there are large but small craters on the surface of Venus. The origin of the craters is unknown, but since there must be a lot of erosion in such a dense atmosphere, by "geological" standards they are unlikely to be very old. The cause of the craters may be volcanism, so the hypothesis that volcanic processes occur on Venus cannot yet be ruled out. Several mountainous regions have also been found on Venus. The largest mountainous region - Ishtar - is twice the size of Tibet. In its center, a giant volcanic cone rises to a height of 11 km. The clouds have been found to contain large amounts of sulfuric acid (perhaps even fluorosulphuric acid).
The next important step was taken in October 1975, when two Soviet vehicles - Venera - 9 and Venera - 10 - made a controlled landing on the surface of the planet and transmitted images to Earth. The images were relayed by the orbital compartments of the stations, which remained in near-planet orbit at an altitude of about 1500 km. It was a triumph for the Soviet scientists, even though both Venera 9 and Venera 10 were transmitting only for no more than an hour, until they ceased to operate once and for all due to too high temperatures and pressure.
It turned out that the surface of Venus was strewn with smooth rock fragments, similar in composition to terrestrial basalts, many of which were about 1 m in diameter.
The surface was well lit: according to the description of Soviet scientists, there was as much light as there is in Moscow on a cloudy summer afternoon, so that the spotlights of the devices were not even required. It also turned out that the atmosphere did not have excessively high refractive properties, as expected, and all the details of the landscape were clear. The temperature on the surface of Venus was 4850 degrees Celsius, and the pressure was 90 times higher than the pressure at the surface of the Earth. It was also found that the layer of clouds ends at an altitude of about 30 km. Below is an area of hot, caustic mist. At altitudes of 50-70 km there are powerful cloud layers and hurricane-force winds blow. At the surface of Venus, the atmosphere is very dense (only 10 times less than the density of water).
Venus is by no means a hospitable world, as it was once supposed. With its atmosphere of carbon dioxide, clouds of sulfuric acid and terrible heat, it is completely unsuitable for humans. Under the weight of this information, some hopes collapsed: after all, less than 20 years ago, many scientists considered Venus to be a more promising object for space research than Mars.
Venus has always attracted the views of writers - science fiction writers, poets, scientists. Much has been written about her and about her and, probably, much more will be written, and it is even possible that someday some of her secrets will be revealed to man.
Named after the goddess of love, the planet Venus has always attracted the attention of people. Looking at the sky, Venus can be easily seen in the morning and evening hours (it does not rise high above the earth's horizon), but it is the brightest among the stars, its brightness is -4.4-4.8. Venus is the second planet after Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun and the most nearby planet to the earth. In many ways: diameter, mass, gravity and basic composition, Venus is very similar to our planet, only a little smaller. For some time it was believed that there is life there, as on our planet, with seas and oceans, with dry land and forests. It is classified as an earth-like planet. I would like to note that Venus has always been one of the most beloved planets of earthlings, which is why they endowed it with a beautiful female name, composed myths, poems and songs about it, comparing it with the most beautiful and mysterious images.
Basic information about Venus.
The radius of Venus is 6051.8 km.
Weight - 4.87 10²⁴kg.
Density - 5.25 g / cm³.
Free fall acceleration -8.87m/sec.
The second escape velocity is 10.46 km/s. The orbit is circular, the eccentricity is only 0.0068, the smallest among the planets of the solar system.
The distance from the planet to the Sun is 108.2 million km.
Distance to Earth: 40 - 259 million km.
The period of revolution around the Sun (sidereal period) is 224.7 days, with an average orbital speed of 35.03 km / s.
Own rotation is equal to 243 Earth days.
The synodic period is 583.92 days.
Deviation of the axis of rotation to the perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic -3.39 degrees
The planet rotates in a direction different from the Earth and other planets (except Uranus).
A revolution around its own axis takes 243.02 days.
The solar day on the planet is 15.8 Earth days.
The angle of inclination of the equator to the orbit is 177.3 degrees.
Orbit of Venus.
The orbit of Venus is simple (almost circular), and at the same time, very unique in solar system. She has the smallest eccentricity (as noted above, equal to 0.0068). But the most significant and mysterious feature is that it rotates around its axis in the opposite direction of its orbit around the Sun. This is a rare phenomenon in the characteristics of the planets of the solar system, (except for Uranus), which has the same salient feature. It rotates around its axis from east to west. If you direct your gaze from her North Pole, then it orbits clockwise, although all the other planets in our system rotate counterclockwise. Why this happens so remains a mysterious mystery at the present stage of the development of science. The divergence in the direction of the planet's movement around its own axis in orbit gives us the length of the day on Venus (116.8 times longer than on our Earth), and therefore there is only twice a year sunrise and sunset. A day (i.e. day and night) is equal to 58.4 Earth days. The planet flies around the Sun in 224.7 days (sidereal period) at a speed of 34.99 km / s, with its own rotation around the axis of 243 days (Earth day). On the planet unusual calendar where the year is less than a day long. Due to the slight inclination of the plane of the orbit to the plane of the equator, there are practically no seasonal changes on Venus. Due to the fact that the orbit of Venus is between the orbits of Mercury and our planet, and closer to the Sun than we are, earthlings can observe a phase change in Venus, like that of the Moon. For the first time, such a phase change was recorded in 1610 by Galileo, after the invention of the telescope, and when observing Venus. But in good cloudless weather, during the closest approach of Venus to the Earth, and without a telescope, you can see the crescent of Venus in the sky. You can observe the planet for a short time, only in the period after sunset and then before sunrise, since its orbit moves away from the Sun by no more than 48 degrees. In inferior conjunction to Earth, Venus always faces one side.
Atmosphere and climate.
For the first time, Lomonosov spoke about the atmosphere of Venus in 1761. He observed its passage across the solar disk and noticed a small halo around the planet as it entered and exited the solar disk. Subsequently, thanks to research, it was found that the planet has a very strong atmosphere, exceeding the earth's mass by almost 92 times. This is the most powerful atmosphere among Earth-like planets. Sometimes it reaches 119 bar (in Diana Canyon). Due to the huge greenhouse effect and proximity to the Sun at the bottom of the atmosphere, the temperature is very high, and on the surface it often reaches 470-530⁰С, and diurnal fluctuations due to the large greenhouse effect are insignificant. The entire surface of Venus is hidden behind thick dense clouds (presumably from sulfuric acid!), There are never clear days on the surface of this planet. Thanks to modern research, it was found that carbon dioxide prevails in the atmosphere (its content is 97%). This is due to the fact that there are no carbon exchange processes, and there are no life processes that would process this gas into biomass. The atmosphere also contains nitrogen-4%, water vapor (about 0.05%), a thousandth of oxygen, as well as SO2, H2S, CO, HF, HCL. The sun's rays pass through the atmosphere only partially, and mainly in the form of reusable scattered radiation. Visibility is about the same as on a cloudy day on Earth.
The climate of Venus is characterized by almost no seasonal changes. The temperature is very high, higher than on Mercury, and reaches 500 degrees Celsius due to the greenhouse effect. The clouds are located at an altitude of 30-50 km and have several layers. When examining clouds with ultraviolet light, it was found that clouds move in the equator region from the east, almost straight, to the west with a period of 4 days, and strong winds blow at a speed of 100 m / s at the level of multilayer clouds. and more. Scientists have come to the conclusion that above the planet. at the upper borders of the clouds, one general hurricane rages, although on the very surface of the planet the wind weakens to 1 m / s. It is believed that acid rain is possible. A large number of thunderstorms have been established, almost twice as many as on Earth. So far, their origin has not been precisely established. The planet's magnetic field is very weak, but due to its proximity to the Sun and the strong gravitational force, tidal influences are quite significant. and in these places there is a large electric field strength (more than on Earth.)
The sky overhead on the planet yellow color with a greenish tint, since the atmosphere and carbon dioxide almost do not transmit rays of a different spectrum. 
The internal structure and surface of Venus.
To date, scientists consider the most common, classical model, consisting of three shells, to be the most reliable model of the internal structure of Venus, consisting of three shells: a thin crust (approximately 14 - 16 km thick and a density of 2.7 g / cm³), a mantle made of molten silicate and a solid iron core , where there is no movement of liquid masses, which leads to a very small magnetic field. It is assumed that the mass of the core is 30% of the total mass of the planet. The center of mass of the planet relative to its geometric center is significantly shifted, by about 430 km.
Thanks to research by spacecraft, a map of the surface of Venus was compiled. The planet looks like a dry, completely waterless and very hot desert with unsteady ripples. 85% of the surface is plains. Uplands make up 10%. The largest elevations are the Ishtar plateau and the Aphrodite plateau, which are 3-5 km above the mid-plain level. They are also called the land of Ishtar and Aphrodite or the continents. high mountain- Maxwell on the Ishtar plateau, reaching a height of 12 km. There are also a lot of large depressions of regular round shape with a diameter of 10 to 200 km. There are relatively few impact craters, there are about 1000 of them. Their inner region is filled with lava, and sometimes petals stick out from fragments of crushed rock that has flown up. Often a network of small cracks in the crust is visible around the craters. There are also volcano craters, furrows and lines in the crust. and entire rivers of basalt lavas. All this speaks of past tectonic activity on the planet. It should be said that during this period of research by spacecraft, no volcanic and tectonic activity was recorded on the planet. During the landing of the spacecraft, the ground surface was recorded as smooth rocky fragments of basalt rock with an average size of up to 1 meter. Approximately, knowing the frequency of bombardment of planets by asteroids, comets and meteorites, one can determine the age of the planet. Venus according to these data is 0.5 - 1 million years. years. The rules for naming the relief of the surface of Venus were approved in 1985 by the XIX Assembly of the International Astronomical Union. Small craters received female names: Katya, Olya, etc., large - named after famous women, hills and plateaus were named after goddesses, furrows and lines are named after militant women. True, as always, there are exceptions, such as Mount Maxwell, Alpha and Beta regions.
Unfortunately, the beautiful and brightest silver-white planet remains mysterious and enigmatic for us. The main discovery of science is that Venus is lifeless, deserted, there is no water on it, the surface is very hot. 
Venus is the second planet in the solar system with an orbital period of 224.7 Earth days. It is named after the Roman goddess of love. The planet is one of all that has received the name of a female deity. In terms of brightness, this is the third object in the sky after the Moon and the Sun. Since Venus is closer to the Sun than the Earth, it never moves away from it more than 47.8 degrees. It is best viewed before sunrise or a little after sunset. This fact gave reason to call her the Evening or Morning Star. Sometimes the planet is called the sister of the Earth. They are both similar in size, composition and gravity. But the conditions are very different.
The surface of Venus is hidden by thick clouds of sulfuric acid, which makes it difficult to see its surface in visible light. The planet's atmosphere is transparent to radio waves. With their help, the relief of Venus was studied. The debate about what is under the clouds of the planet continued for a long time. But many secrets have been revealed by planetology. Venus has the densest atmosphere of all Earth-like planets. It mainly consists of carbon dioxide. This is explained by the fact that there is no life and carbon cycle. It is believed that in ancient times the planet was very hot. This led to the fact that all the oceans that existed here evaporated. They left behind a desert landscape with many slab-like rocks. It is believed that due to the weak magnetic field, water vapor was carried away into interplanetary space by the solar wind. Scientists have found that even now the atmosphere of Venus is losing oxygen and hydrogen in a ratio of 1:2. Atmospheric pressure is 92 times that of the earth. Over the past 22 years, the planet has been mapped by the Magellan project.
The atmosphere of Venus contains a lot of sulfur, and the surface bears signs of volcanic activity. Some scholars argue that this activity continues today. There is no exact evidence for this, because lava flows have not been seen in any of the depressions. A small number of craters suggests that the surface of the planet is young: it is about 500 million years old. There is also no evidence of plate tectonic movement. Due to the lack of water, the planet's lithosphere is very viscous. It is assumed that gradually the planet loses its high internal temperature.
Basic information
The distance to the Sun is 108 million kilometers. The distance to the Earth varies from 40 to 259 million kilometers. The planet's orbit is close to circular. It revolves around the Sun in 224.7 days, and the speed of rotation around the orbit is 35 km per second. To the plane of the ecliptic, the inclination of the orbit is 3.4 degrees. Venus rotates around its axis from east to west. This direction is opposite to the rotation of most planets. One revolution takes 243.02 Earth days. Accordingly, a solar day on the planet is equal to 116.8 Earth days. In relation to the Earth, Venus makes one revolution around its axis in 146 days. The synodic period is exactly 4 times longer and is 584 days. As a result, the planet faces the Earth on one side at each inferior conjunction. It is not yet clear whether this is a mere coincidence or whether the gravitational attraction of Venus and the Earth is acting. The dimensions of the planet are close to those of the earth. The radius of Venus is 95% of the radius of the Earth (6051.8 kilometers), the mass is 81.5% of the earth's (4.87 10 24 kilograms), and the average density is 5.24 g / cm³.
planetary atmosphere
The atmosphere was discovered by Lomonosov at the time when the planet was passing over the disk of the Sun in 1761. It mainly consists of nitrogen (4%) and carbon dioxide (96%). It contains trace amounts of oxygen and water vapor. Also, the atmosphere of Venus contains 105 times more gas than the Earth's atmosphere. The temperature is 475 degrees, and the pressure reaches 93 atm. The temperature of Venus exceeds Mercury, which is 2 times closer to the Sun. There is a reason for this - the greenhouse effect, which is created by a dense carbon dioxide atmosphere. At the surface, the density of the atmosphere is 14 times less than that of water. Despite the fact that the planet rotates slowly, there is no difference in day and night temperatures. The atmosphere of Venus extends to an altitude of 250 kilometers. Clouds are located at an altitude of 30-60 kilometers. The cover consists of several layers. Its chemical composition has not yet been established. But there are suggestions that compounds of chlorine and sulfur are present here. Measurements were taken from the boards of spacecraft that descended in the atmosphere of the planet. They showed that the cloud cover is not very dense and looks like a light haze. In the ultraviolet, it looks like a mosaic of dark and light bands, which are elongated to the equator at a slight angle. Clouds rotate from east to west.
The movement period is 4 days. From this it emerges that the speed of the winds that blow at the level of the clouds is 100 m per second. Lightning here strikes 2 times more often than in the Earth's atmosphere. This phenomenon has been called the "electric dragon of Venus". It was first recorded by the Venera-2 spacecraft. It was detected as interference in a radio transmission. According to the Venera-8 apparatus, only an insignificant part of the sun's rays reach the surface of Venus. When the Sun is at its zenith, the illumination is 1000-300 lux. There are never bright days here. "Venus Express" discovered the ozone layer in the atmosphere, which is located at an altitude of 100 kilometers.
Climate of Venus
As calculations show, if there was no greenhouse effect, the maximum temperature of Venus would not be higher than 80 degrees. In fact, the temperature of the planet is 477 degrees, the pressure is 93 atm. These calculations disappointed some researchers who believed that conditions on Venus were close to those on Earth. The greenhouse effect leads to a strong heating of the planet's surface. Here the wind is rather weak, and near the equator it intensifies to 200-300 m per second. Thunderstorms have also been detected in the atmosphere.
Internal structure and surface
Thanks to the development of radar methods, it became possible to study the surface of Venus. The most detailed map was compiled by the Magellan apparatus. He photographed 98% of the planet. Extensive elevations have been identified on the planet. The largest of them are the Land of Aphrodite and the Land of Ishtar. There are relatively few impact craters on the planet. 90% of Venus is covered with basaltic solidified lava. Much of the surface is young. With the help of Venera Express, a map of the southern hemisphere of the planet was compiled and published. On the basis of these data, hypotheses appeared about the existence of strong tectonic activity and oceans here. There are several models of its structure. According to the most realistic, Venus has 3 shells. The first is the crust, which is 16 km thick. The second is the mantle. This is a shell that extends to a depth of 3300 km. Since the planet has no magnetic field, consider that there is no electric current which calls it. This means that the core is in a solid state. In the center, the density reaches 14 g/cm³. A large number of details of the relief of the planet has female names.
Relief
The apparatus "Venera-16" and "Venera-15" recorded part of the northern hemisphere of Venus. From 1989 to 1994, Magellan produced more accurate mapping of the planet. Here, ancient volcanoes were discovered that erupt lava, mountains, arachnoids, craters. The bark is very thin, as it is weakened by heat. The Land of Aphrodite and Ishtar are no smaller than Europe in area, and the Parnge canyons surpass them in length. Lowlands similar to oceanic depressions occupy 1/6 of the planet's surface. On Ishtar Land, the Maxwell Mountains rise 11 kilometers. Impact craters are a rare feature of the planet's landscape. There are approximately 1000 craters on the entire surface.
Observation
Venus is very easy to recognize. It shines much brighter than any stars. It can be distinguished due to the even white color. Like Mercury, it does not move far from the Sun. It can move away from the yellow star by 47.8 degrees at the moments of elongations. Venus, like Mercury, has periods of evening and morning visibility. In ancient times, it was believed that the evening and morning Venus are two different stars. Even with a small telescope, one can easily observe changes in the apparent phase of its disk. It was first observed by Galileo in 1610.
Passage on the disk of the Sun
Venus looks like a small black disk against a large luminary. But this occurrence is very rare. For 2.5 centuries there are 4 passages - 2 June and 2 December. We could observe the last one on June 6, 2012. The next passage is expected on December 11, 2117. The astronomer Horrocks first observed this phenomenon on December 4, 1639. It was he who calculated it.
"Phenomena of Venus on the Sun" was also of particular interest. They were made by Lomonosov in 1761. It was also calculated in advance and expected by astronomers around the world. His research was needed to determine the parallax, which allows you to specify the distance from the Sun to the Earth. This required observation from different points of the planet. They were held in 40 locations with the participation of 112 people. Lomonosov was the organizer in Russia. He was interested in the physical side of the phenomenon and, thanks to independent observations, discovered a rim of light around Venus.
Satellite
Venus, like Mercury, has no natural satellites. There used to be a lot of claims about their existence, but they were all based on a mistake. These searches were practically completed by 1770. After all, during the observation of the passage of the planet across the disk of the Sun, signs of the existence of a satellite were not found. Venus has a quasi-satellite that revolves around the Sun so that there is an orbital resonance between Venus and it, asteroid 2002 VE. In the 19th century, Mercury was considered to be a satellite of Venus.
Interesting Venus Facts:
Venus is not much smaller than Earth.
It is the second planet from the Sun. The distance between them is 108 million km.
Venus is a solid planet. Refers to terrestrial planets. Its surface has a volcanic landscape and many craters.
The planet revolves around the Sun in 225 Earth days.
The atmosphere of Venus is toxic and dense. It is made up of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. There are also clouds that are made up of sulfuric acid.
The planet has no satellites.
Venus has been explored by more than 40 vehicles. In the 1990s, Magellan mapped approximately 98% of the planet.
There is no evidence of life.
The planet rotates in the opposite direction compared to the rest. The sun sets in the east and rises in the west.
Venus can cast a shadow on the surface of the Earth on a moonless night. This planet is the brightest of all.
There is no magnetic field.
The sphere of the planet is ideal, in contrast to the earth, which has a flattened sphere at the poles.
Thanks to strong wind clouds completely circle the planet in 4 Earth days.
It is impossible to see the Earth or the Sun from the surface of the planet, as clouds constantly envelop it.
The diameter of craters on the surface of Venus reaches two or more kilometers.
There is no change in the seasons due to the slow rotation around the axis.
It is believed that earlier there were large reserves of water, but due to solar radiation, it evaporated.
Venus is the first planet seen from space.
The dimensions of the planet are smaller than the dimensions of the Earth, the density is lower, and the mass is equal to 4/5 of the mass of our planet.
Due to the low gravity, a 70 kg person on Venus would weigh no more than 62 kg.
Our Earth year is slightly longer than a Venusian day.
> Planet Venus
Everything about planet Venus for kids: Interesting Facts, description of the hottest planet in the system, size comparison with the Earth in the photo, morning and evening star.
Even for the little ones It's no secret that Venus is the second planet from the Sun in. Explanation for children and the description of Venus can begin with the fact that she was named after the Roman goddess of beauty and love. It is interesting to note that this is the only planet named after a woman. Perhaps this happened because the goddess was distinguished by unearthly beauty, and Venus was then one of the five known planets and shone the brightest.
Parents or teachers at school we must recall that in ancient times two different stars were taken for Venus at once: morning and evening (one appeared at dawn, and the second at sunset). In Latin they were called Vesper and Lucifer. With the advent Christian religion Lucifer ("light-bearer") reincarnated as Satan and reflected the fall of an angel. Further, schoolchildren and children of all ages will be able to learn interesting facts about Venus and get a full description of the planet. To make the story about Venus as interesting as possible, use the photos and pictures on the site.
Physical characteristics of Venus - for children
To detail explain to children at this point, you need to start with the fact that Venus is often mistaken for twins. It's all about the similarity of masses, sizes, composition, density and gravity. But this is where the similarities end and the characteristics of Venus have certain differences.
Did you know?
That the temperature on the surface of the planet can reach 465 degrees Celsius! This is enough to melt lead.
Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system. Certainly, children may be surprised by this situation, because Venus is the second planet farthest from the Sun. Parents should explain to children that the dense atmosphere does not allow heat to escape into space. This is reminiscent of the greenhouse effect that threatens the Earth. That is why the probes that managed to land were able to survive there for only a few hours.
The hellish atmosphere is made up of carbon dioxide and clouds of sulfuric acid. Scientists managed to detect only traces of the manifestation of water. Compared to other planets, the atmosphere here is much heavier, which is why the surface pressure is very high (90 times ours).
In addition, the surface is incredibly dry. In the process of developing solar ultra-violet rays rapidly evaporated water, storing it in the form of steam. Today, liquid water is not found on the surface, because the temperature would bring it to a boil. Parents may note that 2/3 of the surface are plains filled with thousands of volcanoes. And some are still active. Their size reaches 0.8-240 km, and lava flows create channels 5000 km long. This is much longer than on other planets.
1/3 of the surface - 6 mountain areas. One of the ridges is called Maxwell. It stretches for 870 km and stretches to a height of 11.3 km. This is the highest point on the planet.
Should explain for the little ones that some features of the surface are very different from those of the earth. For example, Venus has a crown. It is a ring-shaped structure extending 155-580 km wide. The researchers say it forms when hot underground material rises and deforms the surface. Here you can also find tesserae (tiles) - raised areas filled with ridges and valleys that formed in different directions.
Did you know?
That the original name of the planet was Lucifer. But then this name was not associated with the devil in any way. It originally meant "light-bearer". From our position, Venus is much brighter than any planet or even a star, as it is close to us and has highly reflective clouds.
It takes 243 Earth days for one rotation around its axis. Now it is the slowest planet, the metal core of which cannot reproduce the magnetic field, like that of the Earth.
Orbit characteristicsVenus - for children
When viewed from above, Venus rotates in the opposite direction. That is, in the case of the orbit of Venus, it appears in the west, and hides in the east. On Earth, it's the other way around.
A year on Venus lasts 225 Earth days. children this will be interesting, since it turns out that here the day is longer than the year. But due to retrograde rotation, only 117 Earth days elapse from one sunrise and sunset.
Composition and structureVenus - for children
- Atmospheric composition (by volume): 95% carbon dioxide, 3.5% nitrogen with small amounts of argon, sulfur dioxide, water, helium, carbon monoxide and neon.
- Magnetic field: 0.000015 from the earth.
- Internal structure: metallic iron core, reaching a width of 6000 km. The lamellar stone mantle is about 3000 km thick. The crown, consisting mainly of basalt, is 10-20 km.
Orbit and rotationVenus - for children
- Average distance from the Sun: 108,208,930 km (0.723 times Earth's).
- Perihelion (closest distance to the Sun): 107,476,000 km (0.730 times Earth's).
- Aphelion (furthest distance from the Sun): 108,942,000 km (0.716 times Earth's).
Climate Venus - for children
We already wrote that Venus is the hottest planet with a semblance of an earthly greenhouse effect. But schoolchildren and children of all ages will be interested to learn more about the climate and weather of the planet. Most upper layer clouds circles the planet every 4 Earth days. Moves with the help of hurricane winds at a speed of 360 km / h. This is really an incredible acceleration, exceeding the rate of rotation of the planet by 60 times. And this is one of the biggest mysteries, since the wind is much slower on the surface.
In 2005, the European Space Agency (ESA) sent the Venus Express spacecraft to the planet. Children should know that he managed to detect lightning. But it is different from those seen on other planets. The fact is that it is completely unrelated to water clouds. To make it clear explanation for children, it should be recalled that on Earth, lightning occurs precisely from clouds of water. But on Venus it is reproduced by clouds of sulfuric acid. Scientists continue to study these electrical discharges because they are able to break molecules into fragments that are later combined with others.
In 2006, a long-lived cyclone became noticeable, which does not stop moving (elements are constantly being destroyed and rebuilt in it). In the clouds, one can trace some meteorological phenomena, including gravitational waves. They are created by the wind over geological formations, which causes ups and downs in the air layers.
In the upper clouds there are unusual bands - "blue absorbers". Costs explain to children that they absorb light in blue and ultraviolet wavelengths. They manage to absorb a huge amount of energy - almost half of the solar energy that goes to the whole planet. That's why they make Venus so hot. It is still difficult to determine the exact composition of these bands.
Research and intelligenceVenus - for children
Certainly, exploration of Venus began with optical observations with telescopes, but then the era of space launches opened. The USA, the USSR and the European Space Agency (ESA) sent many spacecraft to Venus (more than 20). In 1962, NASA Mariner 2 approached the planet at 34,760 km. It is the first planet observed by a passing spaceship. Venera-7, launched by the USSR, became the first apparatus that managed to land, and Venera-9 sent the first pictures. NASA's Magellan using radar mapped 98% of the surface, showing details that were 100 meters across.
ESA's Venus Express spent 8 years orbiting Venus using a wide variety of instruments (which helped find lightning). In August 2014, when the satellite began to complete the mission, the controllers made a maneuver that transferred the device to the outer layers of the atmosphere. He managed to survive this path and go to a higher orbit, where he held out for several months before running out of fuel.
Another mission was launched in 2010 by the Japanese Akatsuki. But its main engine broke down during a turnaround while entering orbit. I had to use smaller engines to correct course. The nearest planets to Venus are Earth, Mercury and Mars, the characteristics of which can be found below.
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