Venus: Just Passing By . ... Credit Copyright: Galileo Project , JPL , NASA Explanation: Venus, the second closest planet to the Sun , is a popular way-point for spacecraft headed for the gas giant planets in the outer reaches of the solar system. ... This colorized image of Venus was recorded by the Jupiter-bound Galileo spacecraft shortly after its gravity assist flyby of Venus in February of 1990. ... The Saturn-bound Cassini spacecraft will complete its own second flyby of Venus on June 24th . ...