The Ultimate Venus Quiz for Kids

Below are 15 questions, ranging from easy to genuinely tricky. Each one has four answers, and only one is right. Don't peek at the answers section until you've made all your choices. (We'll know if you do. Probably.)

Grab a pen and paper. Note your answers as 1-A, 2-D, 3-B and so on. Then check your score at the bottom.

Ready? Off we go.

Question 1: Where is Venus in our solar system?

A) The first planet from the Sun B) The second planet from the Sun C) The third planet from the Sun D) The fourth planet from the Sun

Question 2: What is Venus's nickname?

A) The Red Planet B) The Ice Giant C) Earth's Sister Planet D) The Ringed Wonder

Question 3: How hot does Venus's surface get?

A) About 100 °C (the temperature of boiling water) B) About 200 °C C) About 462 °C (hot enough to melt lead) D) About 1,000 °C

Question 4: Why is Venus the hottest planet, even though Mercury is closer to the Sun?

A) Venus is bigger than Mercury B) Venus has a thick blanket of carbon dioxide that traps heat C) Venus is made of hotter rocks D) Venus has a giant volcano always erupting

Question 5: How long is one day on Venus (one full spin)?

A) 24 Earth hours B) 30 Earth days C) 100 Earth days D) 243 Earth days

Question 6: What is strange about how Venus spins?

A) It doesn't spin at all B) It spins backwards compared to most other planets C) It spins so fast it has tornado weather D) It spins on its side

Question 7: How many moons does Venus have?

A) Zero B) One C) Two D) Twelve

Question 8: What are Venus's clouds made of?

A) Water vapour B) Sulfuric acid C) Helium D) Sand

Question 9: What does it rain on Venus?

A) Water B) Snow C) Sulfuric acid (but it never reaches the ground) D) Diamonds

Question 10: How many volcanoes does Venus have?

A) About 50 B) About 1,600 large volcanoes, and over 85,000 of all sizes C) Just 3 D) None

Question 11: What is the tallest mountain on Venus called?

A) Mount Olympus B) Mount Everest C) Maxwell Montes D) Mount Aphrodite

Question 12: Why is Venus called the "Morning Star" or "Evening Star"?

A) Because it's actually a star, not a planet B) Because it's the brightest "star" you can see at sunrise or sunset C) Because it only shines at night D) Because the ancient Romans thought stars came out of Venus

Question 13: Which spacecraft was the first to land on another planet (Venus, in 1970)?

A) NASA's Mariner 2 B) The Soviet Union's Venera 7 C) NASA's Magellan D) Japan's Akatsuki

Question 14: What's the longest a spacecraft has ever survived on Venus's surface?

A) 5 minutes B) 23 minutes C) About 2 hours D) 3 days

Question 15: Could humans ever live on Venus?

A) Yes, easily, if we built normal houses B) No, the surface would kill you, but maybe in floating cloud cities high in the atmosphere C) Yes, if we wore sunglasses D) Nobody has ever thought about it

Answers

Don't scroll until you're ready!

Question 1: B — Venus is the second planet from the Sun, in between Mercury and Earth.

Question 2: C — Earth's Sister Planet, because it's almost the same size, mass and gravity as Earth. Some scientists also call it Earth's "evil twin."

Question 3: C — About 462 °C, hot enough to melt lead, tin and most metals.

Question 4: B — Venus's thick blanket of carbon dioxide traps the Sun's heat and won't let it escape. This is called the runaway greenhouse effect. Mercury has almost no atmosphere, so its heat escapes back into space at night.

Question 5: D — 243 Earth days. That's longer than a Venus year, which is only 225 Earth days.

Question 6: B — Venus spins backwards compared to most planets. So on Venus, the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east. Scientists call this retrograde rotation.

Question 7: A — Zero. Venus has no moons and no rings, which is unusual for a major planet.

Question 8: B — Sulfuric acid, the same kind of acid you find in car batteries.

Question 9: C — Sulfuric acid rain, but the surface is so hot that the rain evaporates before it can reach the ground. Scientists call this kind of rain virga.

Question 10: B — At least 1,600 large volcanoes, but a 2020 survey found over 85,000 of all sizes. Three of them are confirmed to be erupting today.

Question 11: C — Maxwell Montes. It's 11 km tall, taller than Mount Everest. It sits in a highland region called Ishtar Terra.

Question 12: B — Venus is the brightest planet you can see in the sky, and it's only visible just before sunrise (Morning Star) or just after sunset (Evening Star).

Question 13: B — The Soviet Union's Venera 7 in 1970 was the first spacecraft ever to land on another planet. It survived for 23 minutes before the heat finished it.

Question 14: C — About 2 hours. Venera 13 holds the record at 2 hours 7 minutes, set in 1982.

Question 15: B — The surface would kill you instantly. But about 50 km up in Venus's atmosphere, conditions are Earth-like. NASA has a real engineering plan called HAVOC for floating cloud cities.

Your Score

Count up your right answers and find your level:

13–15 correct — You're basically a Venus expert. Have you considered a career in planetary science?

10–12 correct — Brilliant work. You know more about Venus than 99% of people.

7–9 correct — Solid effort. You've definitely paid attention. Go back through the wow facts spoke for a few extra ones.

4–6 correct — Not bad. You've got the basics down. Time to head back to the pillar page for a refresher.

0–3 correct — Hey, everyone has to start somewhere. Read the Venus Facts for Kids — The Complete Guide and try again later. Knowledge is just facts you haven't met yet.

The Ultimate Venus Quiz for Kids — 15 Questions