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Venus

A rocky world beneath a dense, heat-trapping atmosphere.

classification
Terrestrial planet
system
Solar System
overview //

Venus is close to Earth in size but radically different at the surface, where a dense carbon-dioxide atmosphere produces extreme pressure and temperature.

technical data //
Class
Terrestrial planet
Location / system
Solar System
Distance
0.72 AU mean distance from the Sun

Only values with an established scientific consensus are listed. Where a quantity is uncertain or model-dependent, it is discussed in the sections below rather than stated as data.

what we know //
01

Overview (starter entry, expanded review pending)

Venus is close to Earth in size but radically different at the surface, where a dense carbon-dioxide atmosphere produces extreme pressure and temperature.

how do we know? //

Imaging, spectra and orbital dynamics

Venus's surface or atmosphere is constrained by telescopic and spacecraft imaging where available; spectra identify materials, while repeated position measurements establish its orbit and system context.

methods archive →
open questions //
  • What remains least constrained about Venus?Composition, internal structure, formation history or local environment can require different observations and may remain model-dependent.

Items above are unresolved. Hypotheses are labelled as such and are not presented as confirmed findings.

sources / data //editorial standard →
  1. NASA // verified 28 September 2026

    Planetary Fact Sheet ↗

  2. NASA/JPL // verified 28 September 2026

    Horizons System ↗

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