Venera 12 was a Soviet space probe launched on September 14, 1970, as part of the Venera program to explore the planet Venus. It successfully landed on Venus on December 21, 1970, and transmitted data about the planet's atmosphere and surface for about 110 minutes. The probe was equipped with scientific instruments to measure temperature, pressure, and chemical composition. It revealed that Venus has a thick atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulfuric acid, and surface temperatures reaching around 475 degrees Celsius (887 degrees Fahrenheit).