Does Venus really spin backwards? Yes, Venus spins backwards compared to most of the other planets. It spins or rotates in the opposite direction that Earth rotates. This means that on Venus the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. On Earth the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Venus also spins very slowly - only once every 243 Earth days. Venus is the slowest spinning planet in the solar system. Actually, a day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus! A year on Venus (the time it takes for it to orbit the sun) is 225 Earth days.