Crash Course Astronomy: Venus

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts about Venus from the Crash Course Astronomy lecture.

Venus

The second planet from the Sun and the Roman goddess of love.

Runaway greenhouse effect

A process where increased greenhouse gases lead to a massive rise in temperature.

Transit

An event when Venus passes directly across the Sun's face.

Retrograde motion

The backward rotation of Venus, where the Sun rises in the west.

Sulfuric acid rain

Acidic precipitation that evaporates before hitting the surface of Venus.

Crushing atmospheric pressure

The pressure on Venus is 90 times that of Earth due to its dense atmosphere.

Gibbous phase

A phase of Venus when it appears more than half illuminated but not fully.

Binoculars

A tool that can be used to see Venus's crescent phase clearly.

Diameter of Venus

Approximately 12,100 kilometers, about 95% the width of Earth.

Earth's atmosphere vs. Venus's atmosphere

Venus's atmosphere is almost entirely carbon dioxide; Earth's is nitrogen and oxygen.

Volcanic activity on Venus

The planet has many volcanoes, with potential ongoing eruptions.

Idunn Mons

A mountain on Venus noted for its abnormally warm temperature.

Pancake domes

Flat, low volcanic structures on Venus created by slow lava flows.

Craters on Venus

About a thousand impact craters found on the surface, evenly distributed.

Bismuthinite

A mineral that may be involved in snow-like deposits at high altitudes on Venus.

No moon

Venus lacks a moon; any past moon may have been ejected due to the Sun's gravity.

Transits of Venus

Rare astronomical events occurring in pairs every 8 years or so.

Surface temperature of Venus

About 460°C, hot enough to melt lead.

Brightness of Venus

The third brightest natural object in the sky due to reflective cloud cover.

Lack of magnetic field

Venus has no magnetic field, meaning it's exposed to solar wind.

Water vapor

An excellent greenhouse gas that contributed to Venus's extreme heat.

Atmospheric chemistry

The chemical makeup of Venus's atmosphere is different from Earth, favoring sulfur dioxide.

Slow rotation

One day on Venus takes about 243 Earth days.

Most spherical planet

Venus is the most spherical planet in the solar system due to its slow rotation.

Orbit tilt

Venus's orbit is tilted by a little over 3° relative to Earth's.

Venusian surface features

Surface features on Venus are named after women and goddesses.

Solar system size measurement

Timing Venus transits helped scientists measure the solar system's size.