Contributor: Nichole Brooker. Lesson ID: 11747
Do you like to breathe? Would you like to go swimming in a sea of super-hot melted rock? Do you not like the moon? Then plan a vacation to Venus! Learn about this nearby planet.
I am the second planet closest to the sun
But no matter what, I like to have fun!
I have lots of volcanoes and clouds around me
Wouldn't you like to come and have tea?
I am the closest planet to Earth and about the same size
My surface is so hot, it would incinerate French fries!
Which planet am I?
If you guessed Venus, you were right!
Venus is the closest neighbor to Earth, and you can even see it in the morning or evening sky (most of the time).
It looks like a star, but it is not. The difference between a planet and a star is that stars twinkle and planets do not.
Venus and Earth have a few things in common!
Their cores are made of the same stuff. Venus comprises a central iron core and a rocky mantle, similar to Earth. They are almost the same size as well.
Venus is often called Earth's twin or sister. They weigh about the same, too!
Scientists can't see the surface of Venus from Earth because there are very thick clouds that surround the planet.
It's good to have a space program to explore and report back to us! Here is what we know about Venus.
Scientists think there could be 1,000,000 volcanoes on Venus! There are 1600 major volcanos, but thousands of smaller ones are all over the planet.
Comparatively, Earth has 1,500 potentially active volcanoes on its surface.
Humans could not live on Venus for many reasons, but the temperature is the biggest factor. Because the temperature could melt steel, certainly you would not want to be there!
For more information about Venus, check out the video below.
Now that you have a good idea of what Venus is like, head over to the Got It? section to compare Venus to your home planet. See if you can remember what the planets have in common.