On Venus a day is longer than its year
On Venus a day outlasts its year.
Reviewed by the CurioVault curator · 8 October 2026 · Last updated 23 September 2026 · Editorial standards
On Venus a day outlasts its year. Venus takes about 225 Earth days to orbit the Sun, but 243 Earth days to spin once on its axis. That slow, backward spin means the Sun would rise in the west. The planet was mapped by NASA's Magellan and radar studies from Goldstone Antenna from 2006-2020 that pinned its rotation at 243.0226 Earth days. Even its solar day, noon to noon, is 116.75 Earth days because retrograde rotation fights its orbit, still longer than its year. It's the only planet where you could celebrate two birthdays before one sunset.
Sources & Further Reading
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