Venus is often called Earth’s “sister planet” because it’s our closest neighbor in space and almost the same size. However, its surface temperature can reach around 460°C, making it feel like a raging oven, far hotter than anything on Earth. Because of its thick carbon dioxide atmosphere, the greenhouse effect on Venus is so extreme that it’s a hellish world covered in toxic clouds that rain acid! Spaceships sent there in the past lasted only a short time before succumbing to the incredible heat and pressure.

Scientists think Venus might once have been more Earth‐like, but as greenhouse gases built up, it became the scorching, clouded planet we see today. It reminds us how vital it is to keep our own planet’s climate under control.

• Venus is sometimes called Earth’s ‘sister planet.’ What do you think makes Earth luckier than Venus?
• Scientists believe Venus might once have been cooler, like Earth. How do you think things could have been different if Venus stayed that way?
• If you could visit Venus for one day (without getting burned!), what would you want to see or explore?