Astronomy · Planets

Venus

Earth's size, but a scorching greenhouse world.

Order from Sun: Second planet
Type: Terrestrial (rocky) planet
Atmosphere: Thick carbon dioxide with sulfuric-acid clouds
Note: Hottest planetary surface in the Solar System

NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA · NASA media (public domain)

Gallery

Venus - Aphrodite Terra
Landslides on Venus! The image on the left was taken in late November of 1990 during Magellan first trip around Venus.
1996
NASA/JPL · NASA media (public domain)
Source archive ↗

Earth's hot twin

Venus is the second planet from the Sun and close to Earth in size and composition. There the similarity ends: a dense atmosphere of carbon dioxide traps heat through a runaway greenhouse effect, giving Venus the hottest surface of any planet.

A shrouded surface

Thick clouds of sulfuric acid hide the surface from view in visible light. Radar mapping from spacecraft revealed a landscape of volcanic plains and highlands beneath the clouds.

The 'morning' and 'evening star'

Venus is frequently the brightest planet in our sky and is often called the morning or evening star, appearing brilliant near the horizon around sunrise or sunset.

Knowledge connections

How this connects across Asteria Star — scientific, cultural, and astrological links are kept separate.

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Fast facts

Order from Sun: Second planet
Type: Terrestrial (rocky) planet
Atmosphere: Thick carbon dioxide with sulfuric-acid clouds
Note: Hottest planetary surface in the Solar System

Key points

Close to Earth in size, but utterly different at the surface.
A runaway greenhouse effect makes it the hottest planet.
Often the brightest planet in our sky, seen near sunrise or sunset.

Data & provenance

Stable ID: planet:venus
Type: Planet
Domain: Scientific connections
Relationships: 24
Graph version: 1.0.0

Dataset membership

Planets

Open data

In the graph export: graph.json · graph.jsonld

Planned API: GET /api/v0/entities/planet:venus

Scientific quality

Complete

Reviewed2 sourcesv1.0.0

6 of 6 applicable dimensions complete

Description: Complete
Source coverage: Complete
Relationship coverage: Complete
Review coverage: Complete
Citation coverage: Complete
Image coverage: Complete
Timeline coverage: Not applicable

Scientific entity. Dimensions that cannot apply to this object are excluded rather than counted as gaps. See the evidence framework and authority dashboard.

Provenance & sources

review 2026.1

Asteria Scientific Review Process · verification: sourced · accurate

High evidenceconfirmed
Venus is the second planet from the Sun; its dense carbon-dioxide atmosphere drives a runaway greenhouse effect, giving it the hottest surface of any planet (about 465 °C).
Source: NASA (NSSDCA) — NASA Planetary Fact Sheet · Public domain (US Government work)
- NASA Planetary Fact Sheet, Planetary Fact Sheet

Reviewed by the internal Asteria Scientific Review Process — not an external institutional review. See the evidence framework and authority dashboard.

Scientific citations

Real, source-backed references — primary papers first, then datasets and institutional sources. Formatted through the citation engine; nothing is fabricated.

DatasetApproximate Positions of the Planets

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Caltech)

Cite (APA / BibTeX)

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Caltech) (n.d.). Approximate Positions of the Planets. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Caltech). https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/approx_pos.html

@misc{cite:jpl-approx-positions,
  title        = {Approximate Positions of the Planets},
  organization = {NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Caltech)},
  year         = {n.d.},
  url          = {https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/approx_pos.html},
  note         = {Public-domain Keplerian orbital elements and rates (Standish) — the method behind the computed planet positions, rise/set, and visibility.}
}

DatasetVenus Fact Sheet

NASA Goddard — NSSDCA

Cite (APA / BibTeX)

NASA Goddard — NSSDCA (n.d.). Venus Fact Sheet. NASA Goddard — NSSDCA. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/venusfact.html

@misc{cite:factsheet-planet-venus,
  title        = {Venus Fact Sheet},
  organization = {NASA Goddard — NSSDCA},
  year         = {n.d.},
  url          = {https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/venusfact.html},
  note         = {Physical and orbital parameters for Venus.}
}

Institutional pagePlanets — NASA Science

NASA

Cite (APA / BibTeX)

NASA (n.d.). Planets — NASA Science. NASA. https://science.nasa.gov/planets/

@misc{cite:nasa-planets,
  title        = {Planets — NASA Science},
  organization = {NASA},
  year         = {n.d.},
  url          = {https://science.nasa.gov/planets/},
  note         = {NASA overview of the planets: how the naked-eye planets appear and move through the sky.}
}

Institutional pageVenus — NASA Solar System Exploration

NASA

Cite (APA / BibTeX)

NASA (n.d.). Venus — NASA Solar System Exploration. NASA. https://science.nasa.gov/

@misc{cite:nasa-planet-venus,
  title        = {Venus — NASA Solar System Exploration},
  organization = {NASA},
  year         = {n.d.},
  url          = {https://science.nasa.gov/},
  note         = {NASA overview of Venus.}
}

Sources & references

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.
NASA JPLJet Propulsion Laboratory / Solar System Dynamics
Orbital data, ephemerides, and small-body parameters for planets, asteroids, and comets.

Venus

Gallery

Earth's hot twin

A shrouded surface

The 'morning' and 'evening star'

Knowledge connections

Scientific connections

Observational connections

Mission connections

Related

Mercury

Earth

Mars

Jupiter

Magellan

Mariner 10

Venera 7

Venus Express

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Venus

Gallery

Earth's hot twin

A shrouded surface

The 'morning' and 'evening star'

Knowledge connections

Scientific connections

Observational connections

Mission connections

Related

Related entries

Mercury

Earth

Mars

Jupiter

Related missions

Magellan

Mariner 10

Venera 7

Venus Express

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