"Mommy, why is the sun going the wrong way?"
Little Maya was 5 years old, and she had just moved to Venus Research Station with her family. On her first morning, she woke up and looked out the window. Something was very, very wrong.
"Mommy!" she called. "The sun is in the wrong place!"
Her mother came to the window. "What do you mean, sweetheart?"
"On Earth, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west," Maya explained, pointing. "But here, it's rising in the west! That's backwards!"
🔄 The Backwards Planet
Maya's mother smiled. "You're absolutely right, Maya. Venus spins backwards compared to Earth. So here, the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. Everything is backwards!"
Maya thought about this. "So... if I want to watch the sunset, I should look west?"
"No, honey," her mother said. "On Venus, you look east to see the sunset. And you look west to see the sunrise. It's all backwards!"
🌅 The Backwards Morning
Maya tried to understand. On Earth, mornings meant the sun coming up in the east. But on Venus, mornings meant the sun coming up in the west. It felt like everything was turned around.
"Does this mean my whole day is backwards?" Maya asked.
"In a way, yes!" her mother laughed. "On Venus, everything about the day feels backwards. But you'll get used to it."
🌇 The Backwards Evening
That evening, Maya watched the sun set in the east. It was strange and beautiful. The sky turned orange and pink, just like on Earth, but the sun was going down in the wrong direction.
"I like backwards days," Maya decided. "They're special."
Her mother hugged her. "You're right, sweetheart. Venus is special because it's different. And different can be wonderful."
💡 For Young Readers
- Venus spins backwards compared to Earth!
- On Venus, the sun rises in the west and sets in the east
- This makes every day feel backwards
- But backwards can be special and beautiful too!