VENUS


Meaning of VENUS in English

I

Roman goddess of cultivated fields and gardens, later associated with Aphrodite .

She was the daughter of Jupiter and Dione, the wife of Vulcan , and the mother of Cupid . She was famous for her romantic intrigues and affairs with both gods and mortals, and she became associated with many aspects of femininity. The planet Venus, originally the star of Ishtar , came to be named for Venus through her association with Ishtar. She has been a favourite subject in art since ancient times, notably in the statue known as Venus de Milo (с 150 BC)and in The Birth of Venus (с 1485).

II

Second major planet from the Sun.

Named for the Roman goddess, Venus is, after the Moon , the most brilliant natural object in the night sky. It comes closer to Earth

about 26 million mi (42 million km)

than any other planet. Its orbit around the Sun is nearly circular at a distance of 67 million mi (108 million km) and takes 225 days; its rotation, in retrograde motion , takes even longer (243 days). As viewed from Earth, Venus undergoes phase changes similar to the Moon's, going through one cycle of phases in 584 days. It is seen only near sunrise or sunset and has long been known as both the morning and the evening star. Venus is a near twin of Earth in size and mass but is completely enveloped by thick clouds of concentrated sulfuric-acid droplets. Its surface gravity is about 90% that of Earth. Its atmosphere is over 96% carbon dioxide, with a pressure about 90 times Earth's. The dense atmosphere and thick cloud layers trap incoming solar energy so efficiently that Venus has the highest surface temperature of any of the Sun's planets, about 860 kF (460 kC). Radar imaging indicates that its surface is dry and rocky, consisting mostly of gently rolling plains, broad depressions, and two large elevated regions analogous to continents on Earth; it also has impact craters, extensive lava fields, and massive shield volcanos. The interior is thought to be similar to that of Earth, with a metal core, a dense rocky mantle, and a less-dense rocky crust. Unlike Earth, Venus has no intrinsic magnetic field.

III

[c mediumvioletred] (as used in expressions)

{{link=Venus's flytrap">Venus's flytrap

Venus flytrap

Williams Venus and Serena

Britannica English dictionary.      Английский словарь Британика.