Although the probes were built sturdy as diving bells, each could take photos and obtain data for only about an hour before being destroyed by the heat and pressure.
Many questions remain to be answered about Venus.
In 1610, Galileo Galilei was the first to note that Venus had a visible disk and phases like the Moon. Venus is the second planet from the Sun and the sixth largest in our solar system. Venus orbits the Sun at an average distance of 108,200,000 kilometers from the Sun. A year on Venus is approximately 225 Earth days. Both planets also have few craters, indicating relatively young surfaces.