If you’ve ever looked upon a starry night, Venus has no doubt caught your eye, even if you didn’t know it. The planet shines the brightest of any object in the Earth’s night sky, after the Sun and Moon. Its spectacular radiance has made it a major fixture in civilizations across humanity for as far back as records have existed. Venus was also the very first planet to have its journey plotted across the night sky, as long ago as the second millennium BCE.
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A few fast facts
- Venus is the only planet named after a female figure in the Solar System.
- Venus doesn’t have any moons, nor does it have any rings.
- The surface of Venus is estimated to be around 300 to 400 million years old. The Earth’s surface, in comparison, is only about 100 million years old.
- Venus has the most circular orbit around the sun of all the planets in the Solar System.
