Venus Path

Venus follows the second-closest orbit to the Sun, traveling at an average distance of about 67 million miles (108 million kilometers). Its path is nearly circular, and it completes one journey around the Sun every 225 Earth days.

Venus moves at an average speed of roughly 78,000 miles per hour (126,000 kilometers per hour). Its position between Mercury and Earth makes it one of the easiest planets to see, appearing as either the morning star or the evening star.

A Nearly Circular Orbit

Venus has the lowest orbital eccentricity of the eight planets. Its distance from the Sun therefore changes very little during its year, from about 66.8 million miles (107.5 million kilometers) at perihelion to approximately 67.7 million miles (108.9 million kilometers) at aphelion.

Because its orbit is so close to circular, Venus receives a relatively consistent amount of sunlight throughout its year. Its extreme surface conditions are caused mainly by its dense atmosphere rather than by large changes in orbital distance.

Retrograde Rotation and the Venusian Day

Venus rotates in the opposite direction from most planets, a motion known as retrograde rotation. If someone could stand on its surface, the Sun would appear to rise in the west and set in the east.

One rotation takes about 243 Earth days, making Venus's rotational period longer than its 225-day year. Because the planet rotates backward as it orbits the Sun, the interval from one sunrise to the next lasts about 117 Earth days.

The Earth-Venus Orbital Cycle

Venus and Earth have a near 13:8 relationship between their orbital periods. In roughly eight Earth years, Venus completes almost exactly 13 orbits around the Sun.

This relationship creates repeating patterns in the positions of Venus and Earth. It is not a strong gravitational resonance, but it provides a useful example of how planetary orbits can produce long-term cycles.

Phases and Transits of Venus

Because Venus orbits inside Earth's path around the Sun, it shows phases similar to the Moon. Through a telescope, it may appear as a thin crescent, a half-lit disk, or a nearly full circle, depending on its position relative to Earth and the Sun.

On rare occasions, Venus passes directly between Earth and the Sun. This event is called a transit of Venus. Transits occur in pairs separated by eight years, but more than a century may pass between one pair and the next.

Why Venus’s Orbit Matters

Venus's orbit helps explain its changing brightness, phases, and position in Earth's sky. Observations of its phases also provided important historical evidence that planets orbit the Sun.

Studying Venus alongside Earth shows how worlds of similar size can develop very different rotations, atmospheres, and orbital relationships. Its nearly circular path remains a striking example of the variety of planetary motion in the Solar System.