text: Venus is a planet that is very close to us, but we know almost nothing about due to its extreme conditions. The author of "The Challenge of Exploring Venus" supports the idea of attempting to study Venus because of how close it was to Earth's characteristics. The article states," Long ago, Venus was probably covered largely with oceans and could have supported various forms of life,just like Earth,"(4). The idea of another planet being alike to ours is very appealing to people, and the author seems to agree that there should be trips made to explore the planet. The article also says," The planet has a surface of rocky sediment and includes familiar features such as valleys, mountains, and craters,"(4). The similarities could potentially have a connection to what Earth could possibly be after everything is gone. If so, then scientists need to be able to study this planet with a very open eye.