Terrestrial Planet · Hottest
Venus
Shrouded in thick clouds of sulfuric acid, Venus is the hottest planet in the Solar System. Its runaway greenhouse effect keeps surface temperatures at 465°C. A day on Venus is longer than its year, and it rotates backwards.
Overview
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Atmosphere composition
Carbon Dioxide
96.5%
Nitrogen
3.5%
Sulfur Dioxide
0.015%
Argon
0.007%
Other traces
<0.01%
Notable features
- Maxwell Montes - highest mountain at 11 km
- Maat Mons - massive shield volcano
- Retrograde rotation - Sun rises in the west
- Atmospheric pressure 92× that of Earth
Space missions
| Mission | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Venera 7 | 1970 | First soft landing on another planet |
| Magellan | 1989-1994 | Radar-mapped 98% of Venus surface |
| Venus Express | 2005-2014 | ESA orbiter studying atmosphere |
| DAVINCI+ | 2029 planned | NASA probe to study atmosphere & surface |
NASA images
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Images courtesy of NASA Image & Video Library.