Venus

Venus – Earth’s Mysterious Evil Twin

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Radar Observations of Venus This hemispheric view of Venus was created using radar observations, including images from NASA's Magellan spacecraft. Magellan imaged more than 98% of Venus. Gaps in the Magellan coverage were filled with images from the Earth-based Arecibo radar. The composite image was processed to improve contrast and to emphasize small features, and was color-coded to represent elevation. Magellan launched on May 4, 1989, and was deployed from the cargo bay of Space Shuttle Atlantis on May 5, 1989. The spacecraft orbited Venus from Aug. 10, 1990, until Oct. 13, 1994 when the spacecraft was commanded to plunge into the atmosphere of Venus. - NASA

The second planet from the Sun, Venus is often called Earth’s “sister planet” because of their similar size and mass. But the similarities end there, Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system, with surface temperatures around 464°C (867°F) – hot enough to melt lead. This extreme heat comes from a runaway greenhouse effect caused by its thick atmosphere, which is about 96% carbon dioxide.