Venus

Venus is the second planet from the Sun.

The surface of Venus consists mainly of plains dotted with eroded craters, presumably formed by meteorite impacts. The largest highland area is Aphrodite Terra near the equator, half the size of Africa. The highest mountains are on the N highland region of Ishtar Terra, where the massif of Maxwell Montes rises to 10,600 M above the average surface level. The highland areas on Venus were formed by volcanoes, which may still be active.

The first artificial object to hit another planet was the Soviet probe Venera 3, which crashed on Venus 1 Mar 1966. Later Venera probes parachuted down through the atmosphere and landed successfully on its surface, analysing surface material, and sending back information and pictures. In Dec 1978 a US Pioneer-Venus probe went into orbit around the planet and mapped most of its surface by radar, which penetrates clouds.

Because of its reflective atmosphere and proximity to the Sun, Venus shows as the unmistakeably bright object in the evening sky.