Orbit of Venus

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/orbit-of-venus

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the orbital semi-major axis?0.723 AU (108,200,000 km; 67,200,000 mi)
2. What is the orbital eccentricity?0.007 (lowest of all planets)
3. How fast does Venus travel around the Sun?Venus moves about 35 kilometers per second, which is roughly 78,000 miles per hour. This speed keeps it from spiraling into the Sun.
4. How long does a Venusian year last?A Venusian year takes about 225 Earth days to complete one full orbit around the Sun.

Astronomical Unit (AU): A unit of distance equal to the average distance between the Earth and the Sun, about 150 million kilometers.
Orbital Mechanics: The study of the motion of celestial bodies under the influence of gravity.
Synodic Period: The time it takes for a planet to return to the same position in relation to the Sun and Earth.
Runaway Greenhouse Effect: A process where atmospheric gases trap so much heat that the planet becomes extremely hot.