- Brightest natural object in the night sky
- Often called the Morning Star or the Evening Star
- Also called Earth’s “sister planet” because of their similarities in size and mass
- Covered with a layer of sulfuric acid clouds which prevent its surface from being seen in visible light
- Densest atmosphere of all the terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars)
- Consists mostly of carbon dioxide and has a small amount of nitrogen
- Years ago was covered by oceans but those dried up as the temperature rose
- Atmospheric pressure is 92 times that of the Earth
- Many volcanoes that shaped much of the surface
- Temperatures range from 820 to 900 degrees Fahrenheit