Things about Venus

 Why is Venus Uninhabitable?

Venus is the second planet from the sun; it’s considered as a ‘sister planet’ to the earth because of its similar size, mass, and bulk composition. Venus is a terrestrial planet that takes 243 earth days for a single rotation. This means that one day on Venus is equal to 243 days on the earth. It rotates very slowly about its axis. Venus takes 225 earth days for one revolution, making one day on it longer than its year. It takes longer for Venus to rotate about its axis than any other planet in the Solar System, and it does so in the opposite direction. In contrast to Earth’s spin, the sun rises in the west and sets in the east on Venus. The distance of Venus from the Sun is 108 million kilometers (67 million miles). 

Venus doesn't have any moons; it's a distinction which it shares with Mercury. If we compare Venus with Earth, the differences are drastic. That’s why Venus is uninhabitable. It has a very dense atmosphere which primarily includes carbon dioxide (96.3%), nitrogen (3.5%), and the remaining is occupied by sulfuric acid. Traces of Sulphur dioxide are also found in the atmosphere. These gases are present in the Superfluid state (A supercritical fluid is any substance at a temperature and pressure above its critical point, where liquid and gas phases do not exist, it only exists in the solid state.) All these greenhouse gases trap heat causing a runaway greenhouse effect. Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system even though mercury is closer to the sun. The surface temperature of Venus is 450℃; hot enough to melt lead, and that's why it is not hospitable. Its surface is rusty, containing intensely crushed mountains and thousands of large volcanoes. Venus is permanently shrouded in thick, toxic clouds of sulfuric acid at an altitude of 45 - 70  kilometers. These clouds smell like rotten eggs! Above the dense CO2 layer are thick clouds, consisting mainly of sulfuric acid, which is formed by sulfur dioxide and water through a chemical reaction resulting in the sulfuric acid hydrate. It rains Sulfuric acid on Venus.

Venus has a crushing air pressure, both in its atmosphere and on the surface. Imagine being a mile below the earth’s ocean and being crushed by the immense water pressure! You would feel the same if you were standing on the surface of Venus. It has an air pressure that is 90 times the pressure on Earth. Its proximity to Earth has made Venus a prime target for early interplanetary exploration. It was the first planet to be visited by the spacecraft Mariner 2 in 1962, and the first to be successfully landed on by Venera 7 in 1970. Venus's thick clouds render observation of its surface impossible in visible light, and the first detailed maps did not emerge until the arrival of the Magellan orbiter in 1991. Plans have been proposed for rovers or more complex missions, but they are hindered by Venus's hostile surface conditions. The possibility of life on Venus has long been a topic of speculation, and in recent years has received active research.