When Was Venus Discovered
Venus is the second planet from the Sun named after the Roman god of love and beauty. But when was Venus discovered? This post will answer that very question and then tell you some interesting facts about Venus.
When was Venus Discovered?
Unfortunately, no one knows exactly when Venus was discovered. All we know is that the planet was known to many ancient civilizations. However, these cultures did not understand what Venus was. It was often called the ‘morning star’ or ‘evening star’ as it is the brightest object in the night sky after the Moon. It is also brightest just before the sun comes and just after it goes down. Sometimes in the early 1500’s, Nicolaus Copernicus developed a new model of the solar system which recognized Venus as a planet.
Summary: Many ancient civilizations knew of the existence of Venus as it is easy to see in the night sky. However, Copernicus was the first to show that Venus was actually a planet.
Interesting Facts About Venus
- There are 167 giant volcanoes on Venus.
- It does not rain water on Venus. Sulfuric acid, however, does rain down but is evaporated before it reaches the surface of the planet.
- The atmosphere of Venus consists mainly of carbon dioxide and nitrogen.
- No moons orbit the planet.
- Venus has a very similar size and mass to the Earth.
Related Topics
Thanks to Universe Today for some of the info!