How Long Is A Day On Venus?

Venus is positioned as the second planet from the sun as well as ranks as the third most luminous object in Earth’s observable skies after the sun and Moon. Venus, at times, is referred to as the Earth’s ‘sister planet’ due to its similarities in size and mass. 

The surface of Venus is hidden by the thick cloud layer which is composed of sulphuric acid. Due to its extended day duration, the planet undergoes extreme variations in temperature between its daytime and night sides. During the daytime, temperatures on Venus can hover around 900 degrees Fahrenheit whereas night temperatures drop to about -290 degrees Fahrenheit. 

So, let’s begin this guide to know everything about Venus in detail:

Rotation Period

• Just similar to Earth, the rotation of the Venus planet is on its axis but the major difference is in the direction as well as the pace of its complete rotation. If we talk about Venus, then it has retrograde rotation; which means Venus spins in the opposite direction as compared to most of the planets in the solar system, as well as Earth.
• As compared to Earth, Venus rotates much more slowly; it takes around 243 Earth days for Venus to complete a single full rotation on its axis. So, this slow rotation is the reason for the longer day on Venus as compared to the day on Earth. 

Solar Day

• On Earth, we measure the day on the basis of the position of the sun in the sky. Hence this is the solar day which is around 24 hours. 
• On Venus because of its unique rotation as well as orbital dynamics, the solar day is quite shorter which lasts around 116 Earth days. 

Atmospheric Effects

• The atmosphere in Venus is thick and heavy primarily composed of carbon dioxide. 
• Within the upper cloud layers of Venus, winds blow too fast reaching a full orbit around the planet in about 4 Earth days. Hence, this superrotation phenomenon affects the weather patterns of Venus to a great extent.

Takeaway

Let’s conclude this guide with the hope that this post has already provided you with an idea about how long is the day on the planet Venus. The day on Venus, no doubt, is much longer when compared with Earth. In simple words, if one lived on Venus then their day would last around 116 Earth days. The reason for the same is that Venus spins quite slowly and the cycle of day-night is much different from what we see on Earth.