text: The author is clear when he describes Venus being an important planet to discover. In the text, it says "Astronomers are fascinated by Venus because it may well once have been the most Earth-like planet in our sloar system". They also state, "The planet has a surface of rocky sediment and includes familiar features such as valleys, mountains, and craters". The author is giving background on Venus and how Earth-like it used to be. This is the important part of Venus in the article that the author is describing.