The
atmosphere of Venus is the layer of
gases surrounding
Venus. It is composed primarily of
carbon dioxide and is much denser and hotter than
that of Earth. The temperature at the surface is 740
K (467 °C, 872 °F), and the pressure is 93
bar (9.3
MPa). The Venusian atmosphere supports opaque clouds made of
sulfuric acid, making
optical Earth-based and orbital observation of the surface impossible. Information about the
topography has been obtained exclusively by
radar imaging. Aside from carbon dioxide, the other main component is
nitrogen. Other chemical compounds are present only in trace amounts.