Venus: Earth's Not-So-Twin Planet
Venus: Earth's Not-So-Twin Planet Venus, our closest planetary neighbor, has often been called Earth's twin due to its similar size and mass. But beneath the thick veil of clouds that shroud the planet lies a world far stranger and more hostile than anything found on Earth. Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system, with surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead. This scorching heat is caused by a runaway greenhouse effect. The atmosphere of Venus is crushing, 96% carbon dioxide, trappi