This is Venus compared to Earth. The Planet Venus is the second closest planet to the sun. It is located between our Earth and Mercury. It is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. Here are some facts about planet Venus : Diameter: 12,100 km. It is about 1040km smaller in diameter than Earth  Temperature: Ranges from 900F+/- 50F (about 500°C +/- 32°C) at the surface Distance from Earth: At its closest, Venus is 41,840,000 km away  Atmosphere: Carbon dioxide (95%), nitrogen, sulfuric acid, and traces of other elements  Surface: A rocky, dusty, waterless expanse of mountains, canyons, and plains, with a 200-mile river of hardened lava  Rotation of its axis: 243 Earth days  Rotation around the Sun: 225 Earth days