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Venus is often called Earth's evil twin. This scary nickname fits the planet well. The second planet from the sun looks like our home in many ways. It is about the same size as Earth. Its inside structure is also very similar. However, the similarities end there. In almost every other way, Venus is the opposite of Earth.
It is easily the hottest planet in our solar system. A thick atmosphere made mostly of carbon dioxide traps the sun's heat. This creates a runaway greenhouse effect that heats the surface to extreme levels. The temperature is so high that it can melt lead. The air pressure on Venus is just as intense as the heat. Its atmosphere is super dense and creates a staggering amount of pressure on the ground.
In fact, the pressure on Venus is about 90 times greater than the pressure on Earth. Imagine standing on the surface of Venus. The atmosphere weighing down on you would feel like having a car sit on your thumbnail. This extreme weight comes from the thick air above. Such conditions make the surface very dangerous.
If the heat and pressure were not bad enough, the surface is full of volcanoes. There are estimated to be 85,000 volcanoes on the planet. Some of these volcanoes might still be active today. On top of that, the clouds swirling around Venus are filled with sulfuric acid. This is a dangerous chemical that would destroy anything that lands there. It is one of the most hostile environments in our solar system.
The wildest part of the story is that Venus might not have always been this way. Scientists suspect that once upon a time, the planet had oceans of water. It might have even had a climate similar to Earth's. For a long time, it could have supported life. Scientists are still trying to explain how such a lush and green world could have become the infernal wasteland we see today.