VENUS

Equatorial Radius	6,052.0 km
Mean Density	5.42 g/cm³
Sidereal Rotation	243.01 days(retrograde)
Sidereal Period	224.68 days

Sidereal Rotation=One full rotation(1 Earth day) / Sidereal Period=One revolution around the Sun

Venus is considered the Earth's sister planet. They are both about the same size and share other physical similarities. Venus is the hottest planet with temperatures rising up to 470°C or about 800°F. Venus is the 3rd brightest celestial body after the Sun and the Moon. The surface of Venus is shrouded in a cloud of gas that is made up of droplets of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) with water mixed in. The rotation of Venus is 243 days in a retrograde or backwards direction that is opposite all of the other planets. If the Earth rotated the same way that Venus does, the Sun would rise in the west and set in the east!

Venus is a perfect example of the greenhouse effect. Sunlight passes through the clouds in the form of radiation. The sunlight is absorbed by the surface causing it to heat. The cloud layer, which is opaque, traps the heat causing the greenhouse effect. Because of the heavy cloud layer, only about 2% of the sunlight reaches the surface of Venus. Imagine what it would be like if 100% of the light reached the surface.