Venus and Earth are similar in size, mass, density and volume, but here the resemblance ends. Venus is a famously hostile environment, closer to the sun than Earth by 26,000,000 miles, with a scorching hot surface, a thick, choking atmosphere of carbon dioxide and cloud cover rich in sulphuric acid. Orbiting American and Russian spacecraft equipped with radar imaging systems have revealed a land of vast plains, high peaks, impact craters, volcanoes and great lava flows. In this book Sir Patrick explains how this hostile but beautiful planet evolved, and investigates our past and present knowledge of this planet. Venus, the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon, still fascinates readers looking to journey further into the mysteries of our solar system.