With its pink and purple bands and playful little face, Venus looks quite welcoming in this Coloring Page. In reality, however, it is definitely a planet best admired from a great distance! Venus is the second planet from the Sun, located between Mercury and Earth. It is almost the same size as our planet, which is why Venus and Earth are sometimes called “sister planets.” Yet conditions on their surfaces could hardly be more different.

Venus holds a remarkable record: it is the hottest planet in the Solar System, even though Mercury is closer to the Sun. Its average surface temperature is around 465°C (870°F)! This extreme heat is caused by Venus’s very thick atmosphere, which is made mostly of carbon dioxide. It traps much of the Sun’s heat through an extremely powerful greenhouse effect. The planet is also surrounded by thick clouds containing droplets of sulfuric acid.

Venus has another surprising feature: it rotates very slowly and in the opposite direction from most other planets. One complete rotation takes about 243 Earth days, while a Venusian year—the time needed to travel once around the Sun—lasts only about 225 Earth days.

The bands on this Printable Coloring Page are perfect for alternating pink, purple and red. The real clouds of Venus appear mostly white and yellowish, but this cheerful version gives you plenty of freedom to experiment with brighter and more imaginative colors.

Venus orbits just inside Earth, our planet full of life: two worlds that are remarkably similar in size but completely different at their surfaces. Choose your colors and transform scorching-hot Venus into a bright and imaginative world!