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Venus has been known to man for all of recorded history.<ref name=Arnett>Arnett, Bill. "[http://www.nineplanets.org/venus.html Entry for Venus]." ''The <s>Nine</s> 8 Planets'', July 17, 2006. Accessed May 20, 2008.</ref> The ancients originally misidentified the "Evening Star" and the "Morning Star" as two separate objects.<ref name=Arnett/><ref name=Hamilton/> Tradition credits [[Pythagoras]] with realizing that evening and morning star were the same object.

Venus has been known to man for all of recorded history.<ref name=Arnett>Arnett, Bill. "[http://www.nineplanets.org/venus.html Entry for Venus]." ''The <s>Nine</s> 8 Planets'', July 17, 2006. Accessed May 20, 2008.</ref> The ancients originally misidentified the "Evening Star" and the "Morning Star" as two separate objects.<ref name=Arnett/><ref name=Hamilton/> Tradition credits [[Pythagoras]] with realizing that evening and morning star were the same object.

Venus is the Roman name of the goddess of love and beauty. Venus is identified with [[Astarte]],<ref name=Hislop>Hislop, Alexander. ''[http://www.biblebelievers.com/babylon/00index.htm The Two Babylons, or The Papal Worship Proved to be the Worship of Nimrod and His Wife].'' 1853. Accessed May 20, 2008.</ref> or [[Ishtar]], chief goddess of [[Babylon]]. Venus was also known to the ancient civilizations of the Americas; the Aztecs called it Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, or Quetzalcoatl<ref name=Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli>"[http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/mythology/tlahuizcal_venus.html&edu=high Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli]." ''Windows to the Universe'', University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, University of Michigan, March 27, 1997. Accessed May 20, 2008.</ref>, and the Mayans Kukulcan.<ref name=Kukulcan>"[http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/mythology/Kukulcan_venus.html&edu=high Kukulcan]." ''Windows to the Universe'', University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, University of Michigan, March 25, 1997. Accessed May 20, 2008.</ref>, and the Mayans Kukulcan.</ref> In addition, all the geographical features of Venus are named for goddesses from one body of [[mythology]] or another.

Venus is the Roman name of the goddess of love and beauty. Venus is identified with [[Astarte]],<ref name=Hislop>Hislop, Alexander. ''[http://www.biblebelievers.com/babylon/00index.htm The Two Babylons, or The Papal Worship Proved to be the Worship of Nimrod and His Wife].'' 1853. Accessed May 20, 2008.</ref> or [[Ishtar]], chief goddess of [[Babylon]]. Venus was also known to the ancient civilizations of the Americas; the Aztecs called it Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, or Quetzalcoatl<ref name=Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli>"[http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/mythology/tlahuizcal_venus.html&edu=high Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli]." ''Windows to the Universe'', University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, University of Michigan, March 27, 1997. Accessed May 20, 2008.</ref>, and the Mayans Kukulcan.<ref name=Kukulcan>"[http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/mythology/Kukulcan_venus.html&edu=high Kukulcan]." ''Windows to the Universe'', University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, University of Michigan, March 25, 1997. Accessed May 20, 2008.</ref>. In addition, all the geographical features of Venus are named for goddesses from one body of [[mythology]] or another.

Venus is important historically as a calendar reference, and is still of high standing in astrology. More to the point, Claudius [[Ptolemy]] considered that Venus orbited the earth, in an orbital sphere one level closer to Earth than the sun, but subject to a wide epicycle.

Venus is important historically as a calendar reference, and is still of high standing in astrology. More to the point, Claudius [[Ptolemy]] considered that Venus orbited the earth, in an orbital sphere one level closer to Earth than the sun, but subject to a wide epicycle.