The Sun Rises in the West on Venus

On Earth, we’re used to the Sun appearing in the eastern sky in the morning. On Venus, the direction would be reversed.

Why is Venus different?

Venus spins in the opposite direction from Earth and most other planets. Astronomers call this retrograde rotation.

As a result, from the planet’s surface the Sun would appear to rise in the west and set in the east. NASA also explains that Venus rotates so slowly that the time from one sunrise to the next is approximately 117 Earth days.

Could you watch that sunrise?

Not casually. Venus has a thick atmosphere and extremely high surface temperatures. A person could not stand outdoors there to watch the sky without extraordinary protection.

This is one reason comparisons between Earth and Venus are so interesting. The two planets are relatively similar in size but have very different atmospheres, rotation patterns, and surface conditions.

Source: NASA Science — Venus Facts.

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