mirrored file at http://SaturnianCosmology.Org/ For complete access to all the files of this collection see http://SaturnianCosmology.org/search.php ========================================================== _________________________________________________________________ Venus Fact Sheet _________________________________________________________________ [1][Global view of Venus] _________________________________________________________________ Venus/Earth Comparison _________________________________________________________________ Bulk parameters Venus Earth Ratio (Venus/Earth) Mass (10^24 kg) 4.8685 5.9736 0.815 Volume (10^10 km^3) 92.843 108.321 0.857 Equatorial radius (km) 6051.8 6378.1 0.949 Polar radius (km) 6051.8 6356.8 0.952 Volumetric mean radius (km) 6051.8 6371.0 0.950 Ellipticity (Flattening) 0.000 0.00335 0.0 Mean density (kg/m^3) 5243 5515 0.951 Surface gravity (eq.) (m/s^2) 8.87 9.80 0.905 Surface acceleration (eq.) (m/s^2) 8.87 9.78 0.907 Escape velocity (km/s) 10.36 11.19 0.926 GM (x 10^6 km^3/s^2) 0.3249 0.3986 0.815 Bond albedo 0.750 0.306 2.45 Visual geometric albedo 0.65 0.367 1.77 Visual magnitude V(1,0) -4.40 -3.86 - Solar irradiance (W/m^2) 2613.9 1367.6 1.911 Black-body temperature (K) 231.7 254.3 0.911 Topographic range (km) 15 20 0.750 Moment of inertia (I/MR^2) 0.33 0.3308 0.998 J[2] (x 10^-6) 4.458 1082.63 0.004 Number of natural satellites 0 1 Planetary ring system No No _________________________________________________________________ Orbital parameters Venus Earth Ratio (Venus/Earth ) Semimajor axis (10^6 km) 108.21 149.60 0.723 Sidereal orbit period (days) 224.701 365.256 0.615 Tropical orbit period (days) 224.695 365.242 0.615 Perihelion (10^6 km) 107.48 147.09 0.731 Aphelion (10^6 km) 108.94 152.10 0.716 Synodic period (days) 583.92 - - Mean orbital velocity (km/s) 35.02 29.78 1.176 Max. orbital velocity (km/s) 35.26 30.29 1.164 Min. orbital velocity (km/s) 34.79 29.29 1.188 Orbit inclination (deg) 3.39 0.00 - Orbit eccentricity 0.0067 0.0167 0.401 Sidereal rotation period (hrs) -5832.5 23.9345 243.686 Length of day (hrs) 2802.0 24.0000 116.750 Obliquity to orbit (deg) 177.36 23.45 (0.113) _________________________________________________________________ Venus Observational Parameters Discoverer: Unknown Discovery Date: Prehistoric Distance from Earth Minimum (10^6 km) 38.2 Maximum (10^6 km) 261.0 Apparent diameter from Earth Maximum (seconds of arc) 66.0 Minimum (seconds of arc) 9.7 Maximum visual magnitude -4.6 Mean values at inferior conjunction with Earth Distance from Earth (10^6 km) 41.44 Apparent diameter (seconds of arc) 60.2 Venus Mean Orbital Elements (J2000) Semimajor axis (AU) 0.72333199 Orbital eccentricity 0.00677323 Orbital inclination (deg) 3.39471 Longitude of ascending node (deg) 76.68069 Longitude of perihelion (deg) 131.53298 Mean Longitude (deg) 181.97973 _________________________________________________________________ North Pole of Rotation Right Ascension: 272.76 Declination : 67.16 Reference Date : 12:00 UT 1 Jan 2000 (JD 2451545.0) _________________________________________________________________ Venus Atmosphere Surface pressure: 92 bars Surface density: ~65. kg/m^3 Scale height: 15.9 km Total mass of atmosphere: ~4.8 x 10^20 kg Average temperature: 737 K (464 C) Diurnal temperature range: ~0 Wind speeds: 0.3 to 1.0 m/s (surface) Mean molecular weight: 43.45 g/mole Atmospheric composition (near surface, by volume): Major: 96.5% Carbon Dioxide (CO[2]), 3.5% Nitrogen (N[2]) Minor (ppm): Sulfur Dioxide (SO[2]) - 150; Argon (Ar) - 70; Water (H[2]O) - 20; Carbon Monoxide (CO) - 17; Helium (He) - 12; Neon (Ne) - 7 _________________________________________________________________ If no sub- or superscripts appear on this page - for example, if the "Mass" is given in units of "(1024 kg)" - you may want to check the [2]notes on the sub- and superscripts. [3]bullet Notes on the factsheets - definitions of parameters, units, notes on sub- and superscripts, etc. [4]bullet Planetary Fact Table - metric units [5]bullet Planetary Fact Table - U.S. units [6]bullet Planetary Fact Table - Earth ratio _________________________________________________________________ [7]bullet Venus Home Page [8]bullet Directory to other Planetary Fact Sheets [9]bullet NSSDC Planetary Home Page _________________________________________________________________ [NASA Logo] Author/Curator: Dr. David R. Williams, [10]dwilliam at nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov NSSDC, Mail Code 633 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD 20771 +1-301-286-1258 _________________________________________________________________ NASA Official: Ed Grayzeck, edwin.j.grayzeck at nasa.gov Last Updated: 27 October 2003, DRW References 1. http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/image/venus_magellan.jpg 2. http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/fact_notes.html 3. http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/fact_notes.html 4. http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/index.html 5. http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/planet_table_british.html 6. http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/planet_table_ratio.html 7. http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/planets/venuspage.html 8. http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/planetfact.html 9. http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/planetary_home.html 10. mailto:dwilliam at nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov