I’m willing to bet we all learnt basically the same thing about the solar system back in school. Or even as general knowledge taught by someone. We all know how Mercury is the first planet and closest to the sun, Followed by Venus. And then comes earth, the very planet we live in. Then the rest , Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and then our dear Pluto.
Even at first instance one would immediately conclude that Mercury is the the hottest planet since it is the planet closest to the Sun. We studied about the solar system that Mercury is the closest planet to the sun having a very thin atmosphere of oxygen, sodium, hydrogen, helium and potassium. With a diameter of around 3,031 miles (4,878 km). Well, what you might have missed is that Mercury isn’t the hottest planet even though its closest to the planet or the first in order. Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system. Shocking right?
HOW AND WHY?
Venus is the second planet in the order and has an average surface temperature of around 450° C. You would think that Mercury would be the hottest since its closest to the sun, but Mercury has no atmosphere (which regulates temperature), resulting in big fluctuations. This thick atmosphere of Venus makes the surface hotter because the heat doesn’t escape back into space. The average temperature on Venus is around 864 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius). Temperature changes slightly traveling through the atmosphere, growing cooler farther away from the surface. on this planet, Lead would melt on the surface, where the temperature is around 872 F (467 C).
The carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps most of the heat from the Sun. The cloud layers also act as a blanket. The result is a “runaway greenhouse effect” that has caused the planet’s temperature to soar to 465°C, making it quite impossible to stay there.
CAN VENUS SUPPORT LIFE?
This is a really tough question to ask, The fact remains that the capability to survive on a planet on mercury will depend on your ability to survive in such temperatures. For now there is no known life on Venus. Perhaps you had thoughts of paying Venus a visit someday because of the nice name or how bright it is as seen in the skies. You may need to rethink that unless you willing to set yourself ablaze.
HERE IS A LITTLE ABOUT VENUS:
The second planet from the sun, Venus is Earth’s twin in size. Radar images beneath its atmosphere reveal that its surface has various mountains and volcanoes. But beyond that, the two planets couldn’t be more different. Because of its thick, toxic atmosphere that’s made of sulfuric acid clouds, Venus is an extreme example of the greenhouse effect. It’s scorching-hot, even hotter than Mercury. The average temperature on Venus’ surface is 900 F (465 C). At 92 bar, the pressure at the surface would crush and kill you. And oddly, Venus spins slowly from east to west, the opposite direction of most of the other planets. (Excerpt taken from Space.com)
The Greeks believed Venus was two different objects — one in the morning sky and another in the evening. Because it is often brighter than any other object in the sky, Venus has generated many UFO reports.
- Discovery: Known to the ancient Greeks and visible to the naked eye
- Named for the Roman goddess of love and beauty
- Diameter: 7,521 miles (12,104 km)
- Orbit: 225 Earth days
- Day: 241 Earth days
Credit: Dailynubs
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