6 stunning images of Venus captured by NASA

In our solar system, Venus is the second closest planet to our Sun.

Hottest planet – Venus is not he closest to the Sun, but is the hottest planet due to its thick atmosphere trapping heat.

Venus is often called Earth's "sister planet" because it is similar in size, and mass.

It rotates in the opposite direction to most planets, meaning the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east.

The planet’s atmosphere is made mostly of carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulfuric acid. These things make it extremely toxic and dense.

Venus takes about 243 Earth days to rotate once, but only about 225 Earth days to orbit the Sun.

Credit: NASA