Venusians
 Planet Venus
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| Grouping | Extraterrestrial |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Venus |
In science fiction and ufology, a Venusian or Venerian is a native inhabitant of the planet Venus. Many science fiction writers have imagined what extraterrestrial life on Venus might be like.
The word "Venusian" is simply a combination of the name of the planet Venus and the suffix -ian, formed on the analogy of "Martian" (as if = "Marsian"). It is usually pronounced /vᵻˈnjuːʒən/ or /vᵻˈnjuːʃən/. Based on the latter pronunciation, the spelling "Venutian" is sometimes found.
The classically derived form of the word would be "Venerean" or "Venerian" (cf. Latin: venereus, venerius "belonging to the goddess Venus"), but these forms have been used by only a few authors (e.g. Robert A. Heinlein). Scientists sometimes use the adjective "Cytherean" to describe Venus, from the goddess' epithet Cytherea. "Venusian" is used in preference to "Venerean" due to the latter's use in the term venereal disease.
In the 1950s a group of contactees told stories in which they claimed to be in contact with friendly, light-haired, light-skinned humans from the planet Venus, as well as other planets in Earth's solar system. The first contactee, and the most famous, was George Adamski of Palomar Mountain, California. He claimed that on November 20, 1952 he met a Venusian named Orthon in a California desert. Adamski said that Orthon communicated with him via telepathy about the dangers of nuclear war and that he left behind footprints with mysterious symbols on them. Adamski also displayed numerous photographs that he claimed showed the Venusian UFOs, and he said some of the photos had been given to him by Orthon. Copies of these photos were sold to visitors at Adamski's campground and restaurant at Palomar Mountain, but later studies by UFO investigators indicated that the photos were fakes; one scientist who analyzed the photos of a Venusian "scout ship" said the UFO's "landing struts" were General Electric light bulbs.
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