Download Venus Roman Goddess of Love Venus

Venus
Earth’s Sister
planet
Roman Goddess of Love
Venus - Bringer of Peace
It is closer to the Sun than we
are so appears low down in the
sky.
Either as an Evening or Morning
Star.
At the moment it is the Morning
Star
Terrestrial Planets
Venus facts 1
Terrestrial planet structure comprising core-mantle-crust,
and similar composition to that of the Earth.
No tectonic motion but may still be some volcanic activity.
Conditions determined by a runaway greenhouse effect.
Surface invisible from outside due to dense cloud cover,
upper clouds move very rapidly, can orbit planet in 4 days.
Hopes for our luxurious Sister Planet were dashed in the
Sixties by fly-by, orbiter and lander probe missions.
The Magellan Probe in 1989 mapped 98% of the surface
from orbit using radar.
Venus facts 2
Diameter (12100 km)
Mass
Volume
Gravity
= 95% Earth diameter (12800 km)
= 82% Earth mass
= 86% Earth volume
= 0.9 g
Sidereal year (one solar orbit)
Sidereal day (longer than a Venus Year)
Venusian day (sunrise to sunrise)
Synodic period (as viewed from Earth )
=
=
=
=
225 days
243 days
117 days
584 days
Rotation is backwards, axial tilt = 177º; the Sun, if you
could see it, would rise in the West, and set in the East.
The
Rotation
of Venus
Sidereal Year = 225 days
Sidereal Day = -243 days
Venusian Day = 117 days
Venus facts 3
Temperatures greater than + 460° Celsius,
atmospheric pressure is 90 times that on Earth,
atmosphere is 96% Carbon Dioxide, and Nitrogen,
and the rain is sulphuric acid.
Phases of Venus
Cloud surface is very
reflective, 76% albedo,
it is at its brightest
between inferior
conjunction and
maximum elongation,
the reduction in phase
is more than
compensated by its
closeness to earth.
Transits of Venus
When Venus passes between the Sun
and Earth
Rare Astronomical event. Why?
Because Venus’ orbit around the Sun
is inclined relative to Earth’s orbit
Transits occur in pairs over a 243 year cycle,
the pair separated by 8 years
Venus
transits
the Sun
8th June 2004 full transit visible
6th June 2012 in transit at sunrise
then not until 2117 & 2125
The 1769 transit of Venus was observed
from several observatories.
The measurements made helped to give
an accurate distance from the Sun to Earth using a
method of parallax
Captain Cook’s expedition observed the transit
of Venus from Tahiti
On his return voyage he circumnavigated and
charted both North and South Island New Zealand.
Landed at Botany Bay Australia
Claimed both Australia and New Zealand for
King George III