“Venus, Earth’s evil twin.

“Where water is replaced with lava, and the sky is filled with sulfuric acid clouds.

“It’s a planet of many mysteries. One of which appears on the planet’s surface: strange fractures in the ground clustered together resemble spiderwebs, earning the name arachnoids.

“These arachnoids are centered around a volcanic feature and may be related to Earth’s volcanoes.

But no one knows for certain how they formed…”

This is how Vanessa Cardwell and Brady Ford have come to describe Venus due to their intense research of the planet for the InSPIRESS outreach program.

How much do we really know about Venus, and what could we conceivably do to study our planet’s twin?

What a great question! And no need to do the research yourself, because Monte Sano State Park’s observatory is holding Venus Day on Saturday, November 2, beginning at 7:30pm.

For a measly $5 for adults, $3 for students, and no charge for children under age six, everyone can partake of these wonderful experiences:

• Children’s Make Your Own Venus food activity
• Look at Venus in the sky through the dome
• Leave the event viewing the world in a completely different way
• Get involved in the scientific community in an engaging and scientific way

But that’s not all!

The Bob Jones engineering academy will be showcasing its research of the planet.  The academy will present how it has applied engineering to discover more about Venus.

It will be competing against schools across the nation to see how well it can get people involved with its outstanding project. It needs your help.

The more people who attend, the more points the engineering team will receive.

Not only can you participate in this fun and educational family event, but you can also help Bob Jones engineering students make their mark through this national competition.

So save the date and make plans to visit Monte Sano for Venus Day this Saturday.