Venus from Mariner 10
Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech
A thick carbon dioxide atmosphere traps heat so well that the surface reaches about 465 °C, hot enough to melt lead. Venus also spins backwards, and so slowly that its day is longer than its year.
Key facts
- Type
- Rocky planet
- Distance from the Sun
- About 108 million km (0.72 AU)
- Diameter
- 12,104 km
- Day
- 243 Earth days (backwards)
- Year
- 225 Earth days
- Moons
- 0