Fact check: Venus is the only planet in our solar system that rotates clockwise because it was hit by a comet in 1650

1. Summary of the results

The statement contains both accurate and inaccurate information. While Venus does indeed rotate clockwise (retrograde rotation), which is confirmed by multiple sources ^{[1] [2] [3]}, the claim about a 1650 comet impact is completely unsupported by any of the provided sources. Additionally, Venus is not the only planet with clockwise rotation - Uranus and the dwarf planet Pluto also rotate in this direction ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Scientists have proposed several alternative explanations for Venus's unusual rotation:

• Gravitational effects and potential axis flipping ^[1]
• Atmospheric tides ^[4]
• The influence of a hypothetical ancient moon ^[5]
• A direct planetary collision that reversed its rotation ^[2]
• Atmospheric tidal friction causing the planet to flip upside down ^[2]

An important additional context is that Venus takes 243 Earth days to complete one rotation ^[6], which is another unusual characteristic of the planet.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The statement contains several problematic elements:

• It presents a false uniqueness by claiming Venus is the only planet rotating clockwise, when Uranus and Pluto also share this characteristic ^[3]
• It states as fact a specific historical event (comet impact in 1650) that is not supported by any scientific sources provided
• It oversimplifies a complex scientific phenomenon by attributing it to a single cause, when scientists actually propose multiple possible explanations ^[4]

The scientific community explicitly acknowledges that no definitive explanation exists for Venus's retrograde rotation ^[4], making any categorical statement about its cause potentially misleading.