Venus Earth’s Fiery Twin

**Venus: Earth’s Fiery Twin** Venus, often called Earth’s twin due to its similar size and composition, is a planet of extremes and mysteries. Despite being our closest planetary neighbor, it remains a world shrouded in a thick, toxic atmosphere that has posed significant challenges to exploration. Here’s what we know about this intriguing planet. Venus orbits the Sun at an average distance of about 108 million kilometers (67 million miles), taking approximately 225 Earth days to complete one orbit. Unlike most planets in our solar system, Venus rotates in the opposite direction of its orbit around the Sun, a retrograde rotation that results in extremely long days. One day on Venus, from one sunrise to the next, lasts about 117 Earth days. The surface of Venus is hidden beneath a dense atmosphere composed primarily of carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulfuric acid that make the planet inhospitable. This atmosphere creates a runaway greenhouse effect, trapping heat and causing surfac