MCQ Detailed View

Venus is unique in the Solar System because it is the only planet that rotates clockwise on its axis. This type of rotation is called retrograde rotation, which is opposite to the rotation of most other planets, including Earth, Jupiter, and Mercury, which rotate counterclockwise.

Venus rotates very slowly. A single Venusian day (one full rotation) lasts about 243 Earth days, which is even longer than its year, because it takes about 225 Earth days to complete one orbit around the Sun. Despite its slow and retrograde rotation, Venus spins in a clockwise direction when viewed from above its North Pole.

The clockwise rotation of Venus is believed to be the result of ancient collisions with other celestial objects or gravitational interactions with the Sun and other planets. This unusual rotation affects the planet’s day-night cycle, making it very different from Earth’s.

Other planets rotate counterclockwise:

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  Jupiter, Earth, and Mercury spin in the usual counterclockwise direction (called prograde rotation).

  
  


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  This makes Venus the only exception in the Solar System.

  
  

Understanding Venus’s unique rotation is part of physics and astronomy, particularly in studying planetary motion, axial tilt, and rotational dynamics. It helps students learn how planets move differently and why celestial mechanics can vary among planets.

In short, Venus is the only planet in the Solar System that rotates clockwise, showing that planetary rotation can differ widely and influence a planet’s day, climate, and overall behavior.