Wednesday, April 26, 2017

V is for Venus


Our A-Z challenge journey through the sky is about over and today we have our last major heavenly body to explore: Venus.  Don’t worry, I will have posts for w, x, y, z, but they’re not going to be nearly as exciting as the ones so far.  For some reason, Jupiter (or Zeus) was never tempted to seduce a beautiful woman named Wanda,  Xinda, Yvonne, or Zanda, and then in consolation to their mistreatment by his wife, give them a place in the sky.  

Venus is a lovely planet from earth.  It’s close to the same size as our home planet, the second planet from the sun, and is a most inhospitable place and isn't very pretty close up.  It is the hottest planet, hotter than even Mercury even though it is further away from the sun.  Gas in the atmosphere traps in heat and the surface can be as hot as 870 degrees Fahrenheit.  That’s hot enough to melt lead.  The atmosphere is much heavier than earths and consist of Carbon Dioxide and Sulfuric Acid and other goodies.  You’d have to hold your nose because the smell, but the good news is that you’d not last long.  The surface is dry and dotted with volcanoes, some of which are still active.  Although the Venus year is only 220 days long (as it has less distance to circle the sun), it’s days are very long as are its nights as the planet slowly rotates. 

In ancient times, it was thought that Venus was two stars, the morning star named Lucifer and the evening star called Vespers.  But as astronomers began to figure things out, they realized it was on the same star and since it is closer to the sun than the earth, it is either seen in the morning or evening and never high overhead.   In the Bible, Venus as a morning star is referenced.  The King James Version translates Isaiah 14:13 as “O Lucifer, son of the morning.”  However, Lucifer is not in Hebrew.  The word Lucifer is Latin, meaning “Bearer of the Light.”  Although Venus sounds hellish enough for Lucifer, the reference to this star doesn’t always mean the devil or Satan.  In the last book of Scripture (Revelation 22:16), we read of Jesus speaking: “ I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” 

Of course, the name Venus is taken from the Roman goddess of love and pleasure. 


If you want to see Venus, go out early tomorrow the morning.  The planet is the third brightest object in the sky (behind the Sun and moon) and can often be seen when other stars are not visible.  Look for it in East just before dawn, near the waning moon.  (If you are reading this blog later, check to see whether Venus is in the morning or evening sky). 

19 comments:

  1. Haha - The good news is that you'd not last long. My favorite line! Thanks for the education on Venus. I do enjoy seeing it in the sky.

    Emily | My Life In Ecuador | Vegetable Ivory - Tagua

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  2. I'm finding your blog a little late in the Challenge, but I love your theme! I'm going to have to come back and read more :) I tell start stories in some of my performances, and I love them.

    The Multicolored Diary: WTF - Weird Things in Folktales

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  3. I usually spot Venus in the evening near the horizon.

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  4. Venus is second only to Mars in the stories I love to read

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  5. "Wanda, Xinda, Yvonne, or Zanda"---hahaha! :)

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  6. Haha! It’s nice to know that I wouldn’t have to put up with Venus’s stink for very long. It’s also nice to know that Jupiter didn’t diddle around with every woman on Earth. He stuck to women near the beginning of the alphabet.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  7. I fully expected more love and lust when I saw it was Venus this time! I've seen it in the evening more often than the morning.

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  8. When I was in Kutchch, Thar desert, in February this year, I saw a group of young men using an app (I think it's called google sky) to figure out the stars in the night sky. I went up to them to ask if I could see what they were seeing and lo and behold, they pointed the phone screen towards the moon and another shiny objects which turned out to be Venus. Near Venus, there were a group of stars that came up as Pisces on the phone's screen. I was fascinated. Now, this is one bright thing in the sky I am able to spot:)
    V is for Ventriloquist

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  9. Hi Sage - I'm not good at spotting the stars in the sky - there is an astronomical society down here ... and I will probably join it - I go to a few of their talks ... but the Stars are fascinating ... cheers Hilary

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  10. Now Venus is one I'm pretty sure I've seen in the sky.

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  11. I've probably seen Venus and didn't know it. I am astronomically challenged.

    Trudy @ Reel Focus
    Food in Film: Vegetables

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  12. Venus is one of my favourite. It is also one of the first library books my son brought home. This point wasn’t in there though, “In ancient times, it was thought that Venus was two stars, the morning star named Lucifer and the evening star called Vespers.” Interesting.

    Thanks for visiting my post V for vagina
    Shari

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  13. So the "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" book title and saying isn't really a compliment? Sigh. I did learn more, and more surprising info, from this post than I have from any other A-Z I've read. Thank you.

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  14. I love seeing the sharp brilliance of Venus in the deep bluish black of the crepuscular sky

    Affirmations for a Good Life

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  15. Very interesting! Okay, I won't be planning on a vacation there anytime soon.

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  16. Most of us have found Venus before. Pretty sure I've seen. Didn't know about the reference to Venus being Lucifer in bible either. All very interesting.

    "Female Scientists Before Our Time"
    Shells–Tales–Sails

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  17. I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to find your blog. Love your theme (for obvious reasons).

    Currently, Venus is a morning star, and one of the brightest things in the sky, when I get up at 5:30 every morning.

    Also learned something awesome: my phone camera has just enough zoom to barely make out Venus' current waning gibbous shape.

    --Her Grace, Heidi from Romance Spinners

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  18. Do you think Venus is the most popular planet, or perhaps the one that most of us have heard of ...
    Enjoyed reading about this planet, I didn't know that a Venus year is only 220 days.

    All the best Jan

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