HISTORY ONLINE

Recent reports released by scientists remind us that much of our sister planet, Venus, is still a mystery to us.

Venus is the nearest planet to Earth, and the second closest planet to the Sun (Mercury the closest). When visible to us it is the brightest planet in the night sky. Venus, named after the Greek god of beauty is a very colourful planet. However its beauty is only skin deep. It is contantly covered by poisonous clouds (mostly carbon dioxide) and if we were to visit Venus, we would have to withstand a pressure equivalent to the bottom of our deepest ocean. Venus is also very hot, about 900 deg F.

Little Known Facts: Venus' day lasts longer than its year. It takes 243 Earth days to spin once, and only 225 Earth days to circle the Sun. Venus has a vlocano called Sapas Mons, 250 miles wide and almost 1 mile high.

Venus is a popular way-point for spacecraft headed for the gas giant planets in the outer reaches of the solar system. Why visit Venus first? Using a " gravity assist " maneuver, spacecraft can swing by planets and gain energy during their brief encounter saving fuel for use at the end of their long interplanetary voyage. This colorized image of Venus was recorded by the Jupiter-bound Galileo spacecraft shortly after its gravity assist flyby of Venus in February of 1990. Galileo's glimpse of the veiled planet shows structure in swirling sulfuric acid clouds.

Venus was a major goddess in Roman mythology. She originally was the goddess of love and beauty. Later she also symbolized the creative force that sustains all life. Venus was also the mother of Aeneas, an ancestor of the legendary founders of Rome. The Romans worshiped her because of her association with the city's early history. They dedicated some of Rome's most important temples to her. They believed the family of Julius Caesar descended from Venus. Venus was born full-grown from the foam of the Mediterranean Sea. In spite of her beauty, Venus married the ugly, lame blacksmith god Vulcan. But Venus fell in love with the god of war, Mars. Their son Cupid was the god of love. Venus was a great friend of lovers and helped them with their problems. She even lent them her magic girdle, or sash, at times. It had the power to make its wearer loved. Venus is a planet playing important role in european and chinese astrologies.