Venus is a dim world of intense heat and volcanic activity. Similar in structure and size to Earth, Venus' thick, toxic atmosphere traps heat in a runaway "greenhouse effect." The scorched world has temperatures hot enough to melt lead. Glimpses below the clouds reveal volcanoes and deformed mountains. Venus spins slowly in the opposite direction of most planets.
Featured Mission: Akatsuki
Japan's Akatsuki is the next planned mission to Venus. The orbiter will follow Venus' thick cloud layers as they are whipped around the planet by hurricane-force winds.
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