Home >> Science & Nature >> Astronomy

What Are the Weather Conditions on Venus?

Venus has a thick atmosphere, making it difficult to collect meteorological data. However, NASA's Magellan mission in the early 1990s helped the space agency collect radar images of about 98 percent of the planet's surface. The Galileo spacecraft also collected data in 1990 on its way to Jupiter.

Clouds
- The vast amount of clouds on Venus reflects the sun's light and causes the planet to appear bright in Earth's sky. Each collection of clouds moves across the planet every four Earth days. Winds travel at about 224 miles per hour. Cloud wind speeds decrease at higher elevations, and the highest clouds are estimated to be traveling at a few miles per hour. The cause of cloud movement is still being studied at NASA. These clouds produce lightning bursts that are the result of sulfuric acid in Venus's atmosphere. The acid produces a constant electrical charge that is discharged to the planet's surface as lightning. On other planets, such as Earth, Jupiter and Saturn, lightning is associated with water clouds.
Temperature
- Venus is a greenhouse planet. Its thick atmosphere traps the solar radiation, creating a surface temperature of approximately 880 degrees Fahrenheit. Venus is also the second planet from the sun. Man-made probes that have landed on the surface have melted from the extreme heat and rusted from the high carbon dioxide atmosphere. Additionally, Venus has greater atmospheric pressure than Earth, which can crush equipment that isn't sturdy.
  
  Venus' thick atmosphere protects its surface from meteorites, which burn up and disintegrate as they enter the atmosphere. Only large meteorites are able to penetrate the atmosphere.
Volcanoes
- The surface of the planet is spotted with volcanoes. According to NASA, astronomers believe the entire surface of the planet was crafted by these lava spewers around 300 to 500 million years ago. More than 1,000 volcano centers that span more than 20 kilometers are scattered across the surface. That's the highest number of volcanoes on any planet in our solar system. Including the smaller volcanoes, Venus could have approximately 100,000, according to Oregon State University.
Orbit
- Venus takes approximately 225 Earth days to orbit the sun. Each Venus day, or the amount of time it takes for the planet to rotate once around its axis, is approximately 117 Earth days long. Venus turns too slowly to generate a magnetic field. Also, compared with Earth, Venus spins backward, so the sun rises in the west on Venus and sets in the east.

Astronomy