Quickie Questions - Other Solar System Stuff - Venus

Date Answered Questioner (age, location) Question Answer

January 12, 2010PHYLLIS (age 16, U.S.) What are the relative sizes layers of venus? The outermost layer of Venus is the crust made up of silicates. Underneath is the mantle (also formed by silicates), and the core, made up of nickle-iron.
August 6, 2009anjali (age 14, wales) What are the largest volcanoes on venus? Theia Mons is largest volcano on Venus, over 4 km high, and its lava flows cover an area more than 800 km wide. Maat Mons is 2nd largest Volcano on Venus, with a diameter of 395 Km.
July 16, 2009HARRY (age 10, ENGLAND) HOW WAS VENUS FORMED Scientists believe that the solar system was formed when a cloud of gas and dust in space was disturbed, maybe by the explosion of a nearby star (called a supernova). This explosion made waves in space which squeezed the cloud of gas and dust. Squeezing made the cloud start to collapse, as gravity pulled the gas and dust together, forming a solar nebula. Just like a dancer that spins faster as she pulls in her arms, the cloud began to spin as it collapsed. Eventually, the cloud grew hotter and denser in the center, with a disk of gas and dust surrounding it that was hot in the center but cool at the edges. The planets and moons were formed from this solar nebula. For a description of the formation of our system, please visit our web page Solar System Formation.
June 16, 2009jarod (age 11, canada) Do you know any good websites where i can find good information about venus? Try our web page Venus, there you can find information about the planet's Interior & Surface, Atmosphere, The Poles of Venus, Planetary Facts, Myth & Culture, etc.
May 19, 2009Chelsea (age 11, Ont. ,Canada) What does the sun look like from Venus( surface & outer space around it)?(Picture and discription)Thank you, Chelsea There are no pictures taken from Venus. Because Venus is the second planet from the Sun, the Sun should look like bigger than from Earth, but Venus atmosphere is covered with thick clouds that strongly reflect sunlight, so it would be difficult to clearly see the Sun.
May 11, 2009brenda (age 11, new mexico) can you live in venus? Veus is a terrestrial planet, and is Earth's closest neighbor in the solar system. We can't see the surface of Venus from Earth, because it is covered with thick clouds that strongly reflect sunlight. However, space missions to Venus have shown us that its surface is covered with craters, over 1600 major volcanoes, mountains, large highland terrains, and vast lava plains. The surface of Venus is not where you'd like to be, with temperatures reaching more than 450C (approaching 900F - high enough to melt lead), an atmosphere 90 times heavier than our own, and clouds of sulfuric acid floating around to top it off!
April 17, 2009Kristal (age 14, Australia) What is the tempreture on Venus- Minum and maximum?
Thanks
The average temperature in Venus is 457º C (855º F). This value is constant across Venus (max and min). One of the main reasons is Venus axial tilt. While the Earth is tilted 23 degrees compared to the Sun, Venus is only tilted 3 degrees.
April 14, 2009Sara (age 14, United States) What are the names of the layers of Venus's surface? The interior of Venus is probably similar to Earth's interior. Venus, like Earth, is one of the terrestrial planets and is made of rock and metal. Its interior is divided in crust, mantle, and core.
March 16, 2009Annie (age 16, MO/USA) How bright is Venus? In November 20, 2008 Venus was -3.97 mag (from stellarium.
March 6, 2009Abdulkhaliq (age 10, Qatar) Does Venus have many colours? Not really. many times scientists use false colors to study one or other detail. If we looked at Venus with just our eyes above the atmosphere, we would see a very bright white-yellowish ball.
March 6, 2009Abdulkhaliq mustafa (age 10, Doha/Qatar) Does Venus have many colours? Not really. many times scientists use false colors to study one or other detail. If we looked at Venus with just our eyes above the atmosphere, we would see a very bright white-yellowish ball.
March 5, 2009jessica (age 11, Canada) Would it be possible to live on Venus if the thick cloud cover and the sulfuric acid were removed? Interesting question. Those are two of the main characteristics of the planet. However, there is also the enormous weight of the atmosphere (about 90 times heavier than the Earth's atmosphere, equivalent to what a submarine experiences at 3000 ft below the surface of the Earth's ocean), which would crush anything alive on the surface of the planet.
March 5, 2009AMBER (age 11, VILLE) WHAT IS COMMON ELEMENTS ON VENUS The atmosphere of Venus is made up mainly of carbon dioxide, and thick clouds of sulfuric acid completely cover the planet. The gamma-ray spectroscopy data from the missions Vega 1 and 2 detected some content of natural radioactive elements in Venus rocks.
March 4, 2009corraundeas (age 12, north america) perihelion of venus Venus minimum distance from the Sun (perihelium) is 108 million km (67 million miles).
March 2, 2009CIANA (age , ) Measurements made by probes which travelled through Venus' atmosphere have shown that the atmospheric temperature remains nearly constant through the long dark night. Thus there are neither significant seasons, nor daily temperature changes in the atmosphere. Visit our web page The Atmosphere of Venus for more deails.
February 25, 2009Veeramani (age 25, India) why venus is so hot compare to mercury?(Mercury is near to sun) The atmosphere of Venus is very hot and thick. It is made up mainly of carbon dioxide, and thick clouds of sulfuric acid completely cover the planet. The atmosphere traps the small amount of energy from the sun that does reach the surface along with the heat the planet itself releases. This greenhouse effect has made Venus the hottest planet in the solar system!
February 25, 2009Veeramani (age 25, India) why venus is so hot compare to mercury?(Mercury is near to sun) The atmosphere of Venus is very hot and thick. It is made up mainly of carbon dioxide, and thick clouds of sulfuric acid completely cover the planet. The atmosphere traps the small amount of energy from the sun that does reach the surface along with the heat the planet itself releases. This greenhouse effect has made Venus the hottest planet in the solar system!
February 20, 2009Kaitlin (age 14, Dothan AL) How did Venus get its name? Venus is one of the brightest objects in the sky, so it is clearly visible to the naked eye. It can be tricky to spot because it is always near the Sun. Because of this, it rises and sets with the Sun each day. Ancient civilizations believed they were actually two different objects, so they called the one which rose the Morning Star, and the one which sets the Evening Star. Of course, we now know it's the same object! No one knows who really discovered Venus, since it is so obvious in the sky. However, much has been discovered about Venus in the past century. Robert Richardson noticed that Venus rotates "backwards". In other words, on Venus the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east.
February 10, 2009Biranavi (age 10, Canada) how far away is venus from earth?
thankyou
Venus minimum distance from Earth is 40 million km (25 million miles).
November 3, 2008Sophie (age 9, the united kingdom) who foundVenus? Venus is one of the brightest objects in the sky and no one knows who really discovered Venus, since it is so obvious. However, much has been discovered about Venus in the past century. Robert Richardson noticed that Venus rotates "backwards". In other words, on Venus the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east.
October 8, 2008sarah (age 12, U.K) How long does it take for venus to spin round once on its own axis? Venus' rotation period about axis: 243 days (retrograde).
August 15, 2008bob (age 13, hawaii) how long does it take venus to orbit the sun Venus revolution period about the Sun: 0.62 Earth years.
August 15, 2008raghav (age 13, uae) does the planet venus presents only the same face towards the sun Venus does rotate respect to the Sun. Its orbit is almost circular, with a mean radius of 0.7 A.U. and an orbital period of 225 days. Venus rotation is retrograde (in the opposite sense of all other planets except Uranus) and very slow: a day on Venus corresponds to 243 Earth days.
June 26, 2008chloe (age , ) Venus' estimated diameter(d) is 12 104 km. Circumference (C) is simply the diameter multiplied by pi (3.14, roughly)... Thus, for Venus: C = 3.14 * 12 104 km, which results in C = 38 006.6 km.
May 22, 2008Renae (age 12, Washington) What is Venus's Surface made up of? Gas or Rock? Venus is one of the rocky planets. The surface of Venus consists of 2 large continents with mountain ranges, and a few large islands. There are many craters, mixed with evidence that liquid once flowed.
May 14, 2008 (age 11, canada) what colour is the atmosphere of the planet Venus? Most of the published pictures of Venus have some sort of false color to bring out details. If we looked at Venus with our eyes above the atmosphere, it would be a bright white-yellowish ball.
May 13, 2008charlie (age 12, england) what is the surface temperature ofvenus?? The average surface temperature on Venus is 730 Kelvin (456.9 Celsius).
May 13, 2008Amber (age 15, Indiana/USA) What kind of atmosphere and features does Venus have? The atmosphere of Venus is very hot and thick. It is made up mainly of carbon dioxide, and thick clouds of sulfuric acid completely cover the planet. The atmosphere traps the small amount of energy from the sun that does reach the surface along with the heat the planet itself releases. This greenhouse effect has made the surface and lower atmosphere of Venus one of the hottest places in the solar system! The chemical composition of Venus atmosphere is carbon dioxide (96%), 3.5% nitrogen, and less than 1% is made up of carbon monoxide, argon, sulfur dioxide, and water vapor.
May 12, 2008Micaela (age 12, U.S.A, Utah) Is Venus a solid or gas? The interior of Venus is probably similar to Earth's interior. Venus, like Earth, is one of the terrestrial planets and is made of rock and metal. It probably has a partly molten metallic core, a rocky mantle, and a crust.
May 7, 2008S.C (age 12, Canada) Who discoverd Venus and when? No one knows who really discovered Venus, since it is so obvious in the sky. However, much has been discovered about Venus in the past century. Robert Richardson noticed that Venus rotates "backwards". In other words, on Venus the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east.
March 24, 2008Jenna (age 13, USA) What is the exact distance from venus to earth? There is not an exact distance between the planets, it changes with time. The minimun distance between Venus and Earth is 40 million km (25 million miles).
March 5, 2008brooke (age none, none) what is the averagedistance from venus to the sun? Between 108 million km (67 million miles) and 108 million km (68 million miles).
March 5, 2008danni (age 16, u.s) does it rain on venus? It does rain on Venus, but because the surface is so hot, the precipitation never reaches the ground. Rain in Venus is a truly acid rain, mainly sulfuric acid.
March 3, 2008megahn (age 10, idaho,buhl) what is the color of venus's clouds? This image is close to what Venus looks like if you flew by...you would see red, orange, yellow cloud cover. And this image is close to what you would see if you landed on the surface...the rocks are very dark gray on Venus and the surface overall is a darker red than the surface of Mars!
January 31, 2008jess (age 12, Australia) why does Venus rotate the opposite way to all the other planets in our solar system? Venus retrograde rotation is believed to be caused by some catastrophic event that happened long ago, during its formation phase. From the cratering we see on other planetary surfaces (because its thick atmosphere we can't see Venus surface), we know that soon after the planets were formed, there were still some large mini-planets orbiting the Sun. One of these may have collided with Venus altering its rotation.
January 12, 2008Madison (age 11, TN U.S.A.) What is Venus made out of? Venus is slightly smaller than Earth, and its interior is similar to Earth. We can't see the surface of Venus from Earth, because it is covered with thick clouds that strongly reflect sunlight. However, space missions to Venus have shown us that its surface is covered with craters, over 1600 major volcanoes, mountains, large highland terrains, and vast lava plains. The surface of Venus is not where you'd like to be, with temperatures reaching more than 450C (approaching 900F - high enough to melt lead), an atmosphere 90 times heavier than our own, and clouds of sulfuric acid floating around to top it off!
December 27, 2007Suraj (age 18, Ontario,Canada) when is the best day of the year to see Venus ? When Venus is at its greatest elongation, you can see Venus in the sky three hours before sunrise or after sunset. For more detila, please visit Learning About The Planets.
July 21, 2007Zowie (age 13, W.A) When did venus get found No one knows who really discovered Venus, since it is so obvious in the sky. Venus is one of the brightest objects in the sky, so it is clearly visible to the naked eye. It can be tricky to spot because it is always near the Sun. Because of this, it rises and sets with the Sun each day. Ancient civilizations believed they were actually two different objects, so they called the one which rose the Morning Star, and the one which sets the Evening Star. Of course, we now know it's the same object!
July 13, 2007James (age 37, PA) When was Venus dicovered? Venus is one of the brightest objects in the sky, so it is clearly visible to the naked eye. It can be tricky to spot because it is always near the Sun. Because of this, it rises and sets with the Sun each day. Ancient civilizations believed they were actually two different objects, so they called the one which rose the Morning Star, and the one which sets the Evening Star. Of course, we now know it's the same object! More information in our web page Discover Venus.
July 11, 2007Adriana (age 12, n.c) How many satellites does Venus have? Venus does not have any (known) satellite.
July 11, 2007Kaitlyn (age 12, Canada) what materials won't melt on venus? Ceramic materials. Visit this forum for a good discussion on this topic.
July 10, 2007kiara (age 9, maryland) how big is venus Venus' diameter is 12,104 km (7,522 miles), and its mass is 4.87x124 kilograms (0.82 x Earth's).
July 6, 2007Rebecca (age 11, Califonia) What is venuses myth? For the Romans, Venus was the goddess of love and beauty. To her perfect figure and pure features she added an innocent manner. On her sweet face she always wore a smile. For other myths, visit our webpage Myths About Venus.
July 6, 2007Rebecca (age 11, Califonia) What is venuses myth? For the Romans, Venus was the goddess of love and beauty. To her perfect figure and pure features she added an innocent manner. On her sweet face she always wore a smile. For other myths, visit our webpage Myths About Venus.
July 2, 2007Florentina (age 11, CA) What was the name of the spacecraft that discovered Venus in1962? Because Venus is so bight and clearly visiblke, there is not a record of who "discovered" it. The first space mission to Venus was Venera 1, a USSR mission that flew on February 12, 1961.
July 2, 2007casey (age 12, north dakota) what is some unusual weather on Venus Venus has a very small axial tilt -- 3 degrees versus Earth's 23.5 degrees. Its dense, acidic atmosphere produces a runaway greenhouse effect that keeps the surface at around 865 oF year-round, which is hot enough to melt lead. Weather, as we know it, does not exist in Venus. There are no fluctuations in temperature and winds, and because the surface is so hot, none of Venus' acid rain ever reaches the surface. The only thing that could qualify as weather are the lightening bolts. Probes sent to Venus have recorded tremendous lightening storms on the Venusian surface. One Russian probe recorded over 25 lightening flashes per second when it descended.
May 30, 2007margo (age 10, usa) how many moons does venus have Venus and Mercury are the only planets without moons.
May 22, 2007shivangi (age 10, india) can you please tell me that what are morning and evening stars? The "morning start" is the planet Venus in the east as dawn spreads. It is also called the "evening star" in the west just after sundown.
May 5, 2007kate (age 12, mi USA) What is the gravity on Venus Venus surface gravity is 8.87 m/s2 (0.90 x Earth's)
May 5, 2007Nuri (age 11, Florida/USA) is there a magnetic feild on Venus Limits on magnetic field strength from the Magellan magnetometer data shows that the Venus magnetic field is a minuscule 0.000015 times Earth's field. Non-existent for any practical purpose.
March 30, 2007Rogina (age 12, tx,) how long is a day on venus A day in Venus (rotation period about axis) is 243 Earth's days long. A Venusian year (revolution period about the Sun) is 0.62 Earth's years.
March 28, 2007shayna (age 12, none) how far is Venus from the Sun Venus minimum distance from the Sun is 108 million km (67 million miles) and the maximum distance from the Sun is 109 million km (68 million miles).
March 21, 2007olivia (age 8, canada B.C.) why does Venus have volcanos The interior of Venus is thought to be similar to that of Earth: an iron core and a molten rocky mantle comprising the majority of the planet. Like Earth, convection in the mantle produces stress on the surface which is relieved in many relatively small regions. This is the main cause of the volcanoes.
March 12, 2007jammie (age 11, florida) can u help me find a good picture of venus for a 4th grade sience report? Please, visit our web page Venus Image List for many beautiful pictures.
February 28, 2007MADI (age 12, Pennsylvania) How much do you weigh on Venus? Venus' surface gravity is 8.87 m/s2 (0.90 x Earth's), so your weight on Venus will be 0.90 of your weight on Earth.
February 25, 2007Hannah (age 8, Arizona) How long does it take Venus to revolve around the sun? The Venusian day (its rotation period about its axis) is 243 Earth days (retrograde). The Venusian year (its revolution period about the Sun) is 0.62 Earth years.
February 20, 2007Lee (age 13, NC, USA) Site of Crater Mead? Crater Mead is the largest known crater on Venus, it measures 280 km (168 mi) in diameter.
February 12, 2007a+ student (age 10018, usa) what is the brightest planet viewed from earth? Venus has been known since prehistoric times. It is the brightest object in the sky except for the Sun and the Moon.
February 8, 2007Sadie (age 10, South Dakota) Does Venus have any ring???????? No rings or moons have been discovered around Venus.
February 5, 2007Sian (age 12, England) What planets day is longer than its year? Venus rotation period about its axis (Venus day) = 243 days (retrograde), and its revolution period about the Sun: 0.62 Earth's years (around 225 days).
January 22, 2007Samantha (age 14, Indiana) What is the air and weather like on Venus? The atmosphere of Venus is made up mainly of carbon dioxide, and thick clouds of sulfuric acid completely cover the planet. The atmosphere traps the small amount of energy from the sun that does reach the surface along with the heat the planet itself releases. This greenhouse effect has made the surface and lower atmosphere of Venus one of the hottest places in the solar system! If you were on the surface of the planet, the air above you would be about 90 times heavier than the Earth's atmosphere. MOre information can be found at our web page The Atmosphere of Venus.
January 21, 2007cathy (age 10, virginia) what are all the things Venus and earth have in common Venus is slightly smaller than Earth, and its interior is similar to Earth. Space missions to Venus have shown us that its surface is covered with craters, over 1600 major volcanoes, mountains, large highland terrains, and vast lava plains. The surface of Venus is not where you'd like to be, with temperatures reaching more than 450 C (approaching 900 F - high enough to melt lead), an atmosphere 90 times heavier than our own, and clouds of sulfuric acid floating around to top it off! For more information, please visit our web page Venus.
January 3, 2007Adam (age 10, California USA) When was Venus discovered Venus is very bright and therefore easily spotted in the night sky. Because of this, we don't know who exactly discovered Venus. We do know it was named after the Roman god of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. .
December 20, 2006Karen (age 12, utah) does venus have gravity? The surface gravity on Venus is 8.87 m/s^2 (0.90 x Earth's).
December 13, 2006sabine (age 9, texas) what coler is Venus exactly, I've never found out? The average temperature on Venus is 457 C (855 F).
December 11, 2006Tiffany (age 23, California) What is venus temperature range? The Average Temperature on Venus is 457 C (855 F).
December 11, 2006Terry (age 15, Mississippi) What is the temperature range, highs and lows, for Venus? The average temperature on Venus is 457 C (855 F)
December 11, 2006Chyanne (age 10, GA) How many times does venus go around the sun? Venus goes around the Sun in 0.62 Earth years.
December 1, 2006shaericka (age 14, G.A ) what is venus diameter Venus diameter is 12,104 km (7,522 miles). More information about venus on this page.
November 22, 2006Samantha (age 12, Michigan) What is the diameter of Venus?? Venus diameter is 12,104 km (7,522 miles), the mass of the planet is 4.87x10^24 kilograms, and its density is 5,243 kg/m^3. For more interesting facts of Venus, visit this page
November 22, 2006emily (age 16, Missouri) What is Venus' atmosphere like and what type of gases are in Venus' atmosphere? The atmosphere of Venus is very hot and thick, made up mainly of carbon dioxide, and with thick clouds of sulfuric acid covering the planet. For more details of the atmosphere of Venus, visit this page.
November 22, 2006Jonathan (age 10, Ohio) How long is Venus' revolution? The period of rotation of Venus about its axis (length of Venus’s day) is 243 days. Its period of revolution around the Sun is 0.62 Earth years.
November 14, 2006Libbi Fox (age 11, England) What is Planet Venus made of? The interior of Venus is probably similar to Earth's interior. Venus is one of the terrestrial planets and is made of rock and metal. It probably has a partly molten metallic core, a rocky mantle, and a crust. For more interesting facts about Venus interior visit this page.
November 14, 2006GENEVA (age 8, TEXAS) WHAT GOD IS NAMED AFTER VENUS. In the Roman mythology Venus was the goddess of love and beauty. In the Aztec mythology Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli was a god whose symbols were Venus and the feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl. For more details visit this page.
November 12, 2006Haleigh (age 11, Alabama) What does the planet Venus look like inside it? The interior of Venus is probably similar to Earth's interior. Venus is one of the terrestrial planets and is made of rock and metal. It probably has a partly molten metallic core, a rocky mantle, and a crust. For more interesting facts about Venus interior visit this page.
October 23, 2006Rachael (age 14, PA) What type of atmosphere does Venus have? The atmosphere of Venus is made up mainly of carbon dioxide, and thick clouds of sulfuric acid completely cover the planet. The atmosphere is composed mainly of carbon dioxide (96%), 3.5% nitrogen, and less than 1% is made up of carbon monoxide, argon, sulfur dioxide, and water vapor. For more information visit this page.
October 23, 2006Rachael (age 14, PA) What type of atmosphere does Venus have? The atmosphere of Venus is made up mainly of carbon dioxide, and thick clouds of sulfuric acid completely cover the planet. The atmosphere is composed mainly of carbon dioxide (96%), 3.5% nitrogen, and less than 1% is made up of carbon monoxide, argon, sulfur dioxide, and water vapor. For more information visit this page.
September 7, 2004Janeth(age 10, New Jersey) What type of planet is Venus? (rocky planet?) Venus is definitely considered a rocky planet. Even though it has a thick atmosphere, the rocky part of the planet is a bigger part of Venus as a whole! Venus also falls into the descriptive category of being inner planet (it's located 2nd from the Sun).
August 5, 2002 Jacqueline (age 10, California, USA) How long does it take for a day to pass on Venus? The length of a day is how long it takes the planet to spin on its axis one full turn. Venus spins much more slowly than Earth does and a day on Venus lasts as long as 243 days on Earth!

June 6, 2002 Katelyn and Stephanie (age 12) Can lead melt on Venus? Isn't that impossible? Actually, eight Soviet Venera spacecraft soft-landed on Venus’s brutal surface in the 1970's and 1980's. None lasted for more than approximately two hours because temperatures there are high enough to melt lead and the atmospheric pressure is 90 times that on Earth! Four of these spacecraft managed to take pictures (6 altogether) of the stark terrain surrounding their landing sites because windows made out of diamonds protected the camera lenses.
April 11, 2002 Gizmo (middeschooler) What color is planet Venus? That's a great question! Sometimes, it's hard to tell the true color of a planet, because of false-color images presented by the science community. Here's a couple examples: rainbow-colored, blue-colored, and even purple! All of these are images of Venus, but none of them show the true color of Venus that you would see with your eyes. This image is close to what Venus looks like if you flew by...you would see red, orange, yellow cloud cover. And this image is close to what you would see if you landed on the surface...the rocks are very dark gray on Venus and the surface overall is a darker red than the surface of Mars!
January 7, 2002 Lejla (elementary school) Do you guys know when Venus was discovered? No one knows when Venus was really discovered, since it is so obvious in the sky. This page should help explain!
July 16, 2001 Chandreyee (18, India) Though Venus is twice as far from the Sun as Mercury, it is hotter. Why? You're right, the average temperature on Venus is much hotter than the average on Mercury (730K vs. 440K). This is because Venus is surrounded by a thick CO2 atmosphere, and this atmosphere gives the planet a very pronounced greenhouse effect.
July 13, 2001 David (10, England) Which planet is known as the evening and morning star? The evening/morning star is the name normally given to the planet Venus. It only appears in the evening or morning, and it is easily the brightest object in the sky when it is out.
February 19, 2001 Michele (age 36, Canada) In the night sky, one can consistently see one 'star' that is much brighter than another. I've been told it's Venus and I've been told it's a space station. Any thoughts? Venus has been shining very brightly in he night sky. But, if the 'star' you see slowly moves across the sky (like other satellites do) as you watch it, it very well may be the ISS moving across the sky. There's one way to tell. Check out these two links. They will tell you when and where to look for the space station. (1), (2). Finally, this link will help you find where Venus is in the sky.
February 19, 2001 Jupam (age 18, Canada) What is Venus' mass, symbol, myths? What are some unique features about Venus? Here are some myths surrounding Venus. Venus is the warmest planet (because of the greenhouse effect!). It is the brightest thing in the sky besides the Sun and Moon. All of its surface features (minus 1 called Maxwell Montes) are named for women. And this planet only has 2 continents. This page will give you the symbol and mass of Venus.
January 29, 2001 Kylie (age 17, Malaysia) What is the name of Venus' moons? You know, Venus doesn't actually have any moons at all...
April 3, 2000 Laura (age 31, Washington, USA) Why doesn't Venus have plate techtonics? Scientists believe the crust of Venus is much thicker than the Earth's. It's so thick, there aren't plates that can move around. Instead, it is most likely just one thick layer surrounding the planet.

You can read more about Venus' tectonics here.

February 15, 2000 Ruth (age 9) I was looking for the answer to the question 'Explain how Venus can be seen in the night sky even though it is not a light source'. I could not find the answer You can see Venus because it reflects the light from the Sun. This is the same reason the Moon can be seen. This is like shining a flashlight on a ball in a dark room: you can see the ball because it reflects the light of the flashlight.
August 6, 1999 Vasco (age 72, Vasco) Can Venus eclipse the Earth? Venus does pass between the Sun and Earth. This is called a transit of Venus. However, since Venus is so far away from Earth, you would have to be specially observing the Sun to even notice it. There would be no shadow on the surface of the Earth. The next transit of Venus will occur in June 2004.
August 4, 1999 Ray (age 35, Idaho)
Dave (age 50, California)
What star or planet is visible in the western sky? The planet you all were seeing was probably Venus, which appears in the western sky. It is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon when it is visible. Venus has now disappeared in the glare of the Sun, and will reappear early in the mornings in mid August. Mars was visible as well, but much further to the south.
June 22, 1999 Matthew (age 26, Washington) Will there be any more missions to explore the planets closest to the sun (Mercury & Venus)? NASA has a number of current and future proposed missions to a large number of places. MESSENGER and VESPER are two possible missions to Mercury and Venus. I am currently working on a proposal for a landed mission to Mercury for submission to NASA's JPL at the end of the summer.
May 5, 1999 Liz (age 14, New Jersey, USA) Does Venus have a magnetosphere? what is a magnetosphere? do the other planets have one too? This page will tell you about magnetospheres. Venus has almost none. The planets which do have a magnetosphere are Mercury, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
April 5, 1999 John (age 12, Virginia, USA) What are the craters on Venus named for? Nearly all the surface features of Venus are named for women. Craters and volcanic calderas on Venus are named for famous women who actually lived.
February 24, 1999 Stephanie, (age 11, British Colombia) Is Venus orange or not? If not then what color is it? The surface of Venus is actually a reddish gray, even though we cannot see its surface because of the thick atmosphere.
November 10, 1998 Joe (age 29, Utah, USA) Why is Venus rotating in retrograde motion from East to West, unlike nearby planets? No one really knows whyVenus rotates from East to West. One idea is that early in its formation, it was hit by a huge body coming from a direction opposite its rotation, and that this caused it to begin to spin backward s.
May 5, 1998 Bridget (age 14, Wisconsin, U.S.A.) Who discovered Venus (when and what were the circumstances)? Venus has been known since prehistoric times, since it is the brightest object in the sky after the sun and moon.
January 2, 1998 Stefan (age 11, South Carolina, USA) What does the rain on Venus consist of? The rain on Venus is made up of sulfuric acid. And you thought rainstorms on Earth made life inconvenient!


Last modified October 14, 2003 by Jennifer Bergman.

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