Sky Lights: Shining on Venus

Venus—so strange, yet so like our home planet—takes its turn in the spotlight

By Bob Berman
Apr 21, 2004 5:00 AMNov 12, 2019 4:14 AM
skylights.jpg
Radar affords a peek at Venus’s dynamic surface. Elevated regions (colorized pink) are dotted with volcanoes, faults, and fractures. Lowlands (blue)  are mostly covered with smooth, hardened lava. | Photograph courtesy of NASA/JPL/MIT/U. S. Geological Survey

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

Mars is all over the media these days, grabbing attention because of its Earth-like qualities, but if you look just at vital statistics you might wonder if astronomers are focusing on the wrong planet. Venus is much closer to Earth’s size (95 percent as wide), bulk (0.82 times as massive), and distance from the sun (72 percent as far). Glance west after sunset this month and you’ll see that Venus also dwarfs the brightness of Mars, dangling nearby in the sky.

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2025 LabX Media Group