Part 2/13:
Most planets in our solar system spin on their axes in the same direction they orbit the Sun, following a prograde rotation. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and even Neptune conform to this pattern, with Uranus being the notable exception, rotating on its side. Venus defies this norm by spinning in the opposite direction—what scientists call retrograde rotation. From a vantage point above its north pole, Venus's rotation is clockwise rather than the usual counterclockwise.