Venus

Venus is the second closest planet to the Sun. Telescopes reveal little about the planet due to global cloud cover. Venus' mass and volume are quite similar to Earth's (Venus' mass is 81.5% of Earth's and its volume is 86% of Earth's). Its almost circular orbital period is 224.7 Earth days. A 0.76 albedo makes Venus the brightest planet, earning it the nickname 'the Morning Star'. (The 19th Century astronomer Franz Von Paula Gruithuisen believed that inhabitants on the planet were responsible for lighting objects in celebration of the accession of a new emperor.) Until the early 1960s, Venus was believed to possibly be oceanic even though the temperature was enough to make it a vast desert. Finally, in 1962, the Mariner 2 spacecraft passed by Venus and sent back data putting an end to this hopeful theory.

Transit of Venus 2012


In June 2012, Venus is the closest planet from the sun at transition like Mercury. From Earth, Venus pass by the sun, when it's move between Earth. Since Venus can be seen in the sky, appears the sun and the planets are going left in the night sky.