A day is longer than a year on Venus.
Venus, the second planet from the Sun, is a world of extremes, often referred to as Earth’s “sister planet” due to its similar size and composition. One of the most intriguing and counterintuitive facts about Venus is that a day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus. This means that it takes more time for Venus to complete one rotation on its axis than it does to complete one orbit around the Sun.
A Venusian day, or the time it takes for Venus to complete one full rotation, lasts approximately 243 Earth days. In contrast, a Venusian year, or the time it takes for Venus to orbit the Sun, is about 225 Earth days. This peculiar phenomenon results from Venus’s extremely slow rotation speed and its retrograde rotation, meaning it spins in the opposite direction to most planets in the solar system, including Earth. Consequently, on Venus, the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east.
Understanding Venus’s unique rotational dynamics provides valuable insights into planetary formation and evolution. It challenges our comprehension of how celestial mechanics can produce such varied outcomes within our solar system. As space missions continue to explore Venus, they aim to uncover more secrets about this enigmatic planet and its extreme characteristics, which include the longest day relative to its year.
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