Mercury

Official Name: Venus

Distance from the Sun: 0.7 AU from the sun

Mass: 4.87 x 10 24 kilograms

Myth: Venus/Aphrodite was indirectly the cause of the Trojan War. The war started with a contest. The goal was to name the most beautiful goddess. There were three to choose from: Juno, Pallas Athena, and Aphrodite. A young shepherd named Paris was chosen to decide the winner, but instead of judging by appearances, he judged by the gifts they offered. Juno offered Paris to make him the ruler of Europe and Asia. Pallas Athena assured him he would lead the Trojans to victory against the Greeks. Aphrodite offered him the fairest woman in the world, who was Helen of Troy. Paris gave the prize of a golden apple to Aphrodite and was led to Helen by Aphrodite. Her abduction started the Trojan War.

Interior Physical Properties: Like Mercury and Earth, Venus has a core, mantle, and crust layer. Venus’s core is made of metallic iron. The mantle is molten and rocky. The crust is thin and is mostly composed of basalt. Since the crust is so thin, the molten liquid in the mantle is constantly shifting the crust and creating volcanoes.

Geology: The surface of Venus contains many craters and evidence of volcanic activity. Venus does not contain any plate tectonics. Due to the high temperatures, it is difficult to get detailed information about the surface. It is assumed that since Venus is similar to Earth, the composition of Venus is similar to the composition of Earth.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere is mainly composed of carbon dioxide. The atmosphere is surrounded by thick clouds of sulfuric acid droplets. The atmosphere has many layers, all with different temperatures. The atmosphere is heavy. Being in Venus’s atmosphere would feel like being one mile underwater.

Mission Overview: The Magellan mission was unique. It was the first American mission dedicated to study the surface of Venus. The mission had 4 main objectives: obtain near-global radar images of Venus’s surface, obtain a near-global topographic map, obtain near-global gravity field data, and develop an understanding of the geological structure of the planet. The Magellan was launched on May 5, 1989. On September 15, 1990, the first radar images of Venus’s terrain were received. The images showed evidence of volcanism, tectonic movement, turbulent surface minds, lava channels, and pancake-shaped domes. By the third orbital cycle, the Magellan had imaged about 98 percent of the planet. On October 13, 1994, the Magellan was commanded to plunge into Venus’s atmosphere to gather aerodynamic data. The spacecraft burned up after 10 hours. It is classified as one of the most successful deep space missions.