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→Atmosphere: wikilink
=== Atmosphere ===
=== Atmosphere ===
Venus has the most dense atmosphere of all the [[terrestrial planet]]s, and the most poisonous. Its pressure is 92 times the average sea-level pressure on Earth.<ref name=venusfact/> The most prominent gases in the atmosphere is [[carbon dioxide]] (96.5%) and [[nitrogen]] (3.5%). But Venus also has 150 ppm of [[sulfur dioxide]], which forms clouds that permanently obscure the view of Venus' surface from space.
Venus has the most dense atmosphere of all the [[Terrestrial Planet|terrestrial planets]], and the most poisonous. Its pressure is 92 times the average sea-level pressure on Earth.<ref name=venusfact/> The most prominent gases in the atmosphere is [[carbon dioxide]] (96.5%) and [[nitrogen]] (3.5%). But Venus also has 150 ppm of [[sulfur dioxide]], which forms clouds that permanently obscure the view of Venus' surface from space.
The surface of Venus is hotter even than the surface of [[Mercury]]. Conventional theories say that a runaway [[greenhouse effect]] is responsible. Recently, however, a new "moist greenhouse" model has been proposed. One reason for this proposal is to explain the disappearance of the vast quantities of water that, according to conventional models, Venus must have begun with.<ref name=Bortman/> According to the "moist greenhouse" model, the water boiled off over a period of 600 million years, beginning 4 million years ago, coincident with the "heavy bombardment" that scarred most bodies in the solar system early in its history.
The surface of Venus is hotter even than the surface of [[Mercury]]. Conventional theories say that a runaway [[greenhouse effect]] is responsible. Recently, however, a new "moist greenhouse" model has been proposed. One reason for this proposal is to explain the disappearance of the vast quantities of water that, according to conventional models, Venus must have begun with.<ref name=Bortman/> According to the "moist greenhouse" model, the water boiled off over a period of 600 million years, beginning 4 million years ago, coincident with the "heavy bombardment" that scarred most bodies in the solar system early in its history.