Venus takes about 243 Earth days to spin once, but only 225 days to go around the Sun. It also spins backwards, so the Sun rises in the west.
Truth label: Established. Strong evidence and broad agreement among experts.
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Why backwards?
One idea is that a huge collision long ago flipped it. Another is that its thick atmosphere slowly dragged its spin around.
Learn
- Day versus year. A day is one spin on its axis. A year is one trip around the Sun. On Venus, the spin is slower than the trip.
- A runaway greenhouse. Its atmosphere is so thick with carbon dioxide that the surface is hot enough to melt lead.
Test yourself
On Venus, where does the Sun rise?
In the west. Venus spins in the opposite direction to most planets.
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