How many Moons Does Venus have?

Venus has Zero moons. This is confirmed by multiple reputable sources, including NASA, and scientific summaries of planetary satellites. Among the terrestrial planets, only Earth and Mars have natural satellites—Earth with one, Mars with two—while Mercury and Venus contain none.

Why Does Venus Have No Moons?

The absence of moons around Venus has been a subject of scientific interest. Two main explanations are commonly cited:

• Proximity to the Sun: Both Venus and Mercury are close to the Sun, whose strong gravitational influence makes it difficult for these planets to capture and maintain moons. Any potential moon would likely be pulled into the Sun or, in the case of Venus, possibly collide with the planet itself.
• Historical Cosmic Events: Some scientists theorize that Venus may have had a moon in the distant past, formed from debris after a massive collision. However, Venus's unusual retrograde (backward) rotation—possibly resulting from a second catastrophic impact—could have destabilized the moon's orbit, leading to its destruction. The planet's gravitational forces might have caused the moon to spiral inward and break apart, eventually falling to the surface.

Moons of the Inner Planets

This table highlights that among the four rocky planets, Venus and Mercury are unique for lacking any natural satellites.

Quasi-Satellite of Venus

While Venus does not have a moon, it does have a quasi-satellite named Zoozve. This is not a true moon but rather an asteroid that orbits the Sun in a 1:1 resonance with Venus, appearing to “follow” the planet in its journey around the Sun. Unlike a moon, Zoozve does not orbit Venus itself but shares its orbit in a stable, long-term arrangement.

In summary, Venus has no moons. This is primarily due to its proximity to the Sun and complex gravitational interactions, which make it difficult for Venus to retain a natural satellite. Scientific evidence and theories suggest that even if Venus once had a moon, it no longer exists today. The absence of moons is one of the unique characteristics that distinguish Venus from most other planets in our solar system.