Venus, second 

planet from the Sun and sixth in the solar system in size and mass. No

planet approaches closer to Earth than Venus; at its nearest it is the closest large body to
Earth other than the Moon. Because Venus’s orbit is nearer the Sun than Earth’s, the
planet is always roughly in the same direction in the sky as the Sun and can be seen only
in the hours near sunrise or sunset. When it is visible, it is the most brilliant planet in
the sky. Venus is designated by the symbol ♀.

colour-coded global image of the topography of Venus

Venus was one of the five planets—along with Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn—
known in ancient times, and its motions were observed and studied for centuries prior
to the invention of advanced astronomical instruments. Its appearances were recorded
by the Babylonians, who equated it with the goddess Ishtar, about 3000 BCE, and it also
is mentioned prominently in the astronomical records of other ancient civilizations,
including those of China, Central America, Egypt, and Greece. Like the planet Mercury,
Venus was known in ancient Greece by two different names—Phosphorus (see Lucifer)
when it appeared as a morning star and Hesperus when it appeared as an evening star.
Its modern name comes from the Roman goddess of love and beauty (the Greek
equivalent being Aphrodite), perhaps because of the planet’s luminous jewel-like
appearance.