Due to its size and makeup, Venus is often considered Earth’s twin. Similarities end there. Though Earth-sized, Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system and a harsh, hostile planet. Despite being further from the Sun than Mercury, Venus holds this record. What makes Venus so hot? Learn why is Venus the hottest planet and other amazing facts about this scorching planet.

Venus’ Thick Atmosphere

Venus’s atmosphere is the main reason for its high heat. It is a thick layer of atmosphere mostly made up of carbon dioxide. Small amounts of nitrogen and sulfuric acid clouds also exist in the atmosphere. This thick layer of atmosphere keeps heat inside, which makes the planet’s surface so hot.

Venus’s atmosphere is around 100 times thicker than Earth’s. This tremendous pressure prevents solar heat from escaping. It’s like a gigantic thermal blanket that keeps the world warm and prevents cooling. The high atmospheric pressure on Venus would crush a human and even the toughest spaceship. This huge pressure and thick gas layer cause the runaway greenhouse effect.

In comparison, Earth’s atmosphere includes greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in much smaller concentrations. These gases keep Earth habitable by trapping heat. Venus’ massive carbon dioxide emissions create an even stronger greenhouse effect, making it an inhospitable furnace.

The Greenhouse Effect on Venus

Natural heat-trapping in a planet’s atmosphere causes the greenhouse effect. This impact keeps Earth’s temperatures habitable. Venus takes this procedure to another level. Venus’s runaway greenhouse effect causes its 900°F (475°C) surface temperature. Lead melts at that heat.

Venus warms when the Sun’s rays penetrate its thick clouds. Venus’ carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere retains heat and bounces it toward the surface instead of reflecting it into space. As the cycle repeats, the planet heats up. Venus cannot cool down and is constantly heated.

Mercury is closest to the Sun, so you might ask why it’s not hotter. The answer is Venus’ atmosphere. Venus does better at keeping heat than Mercury due to its dense cloud cover and carbon dioxide-rich air. Venus is hotter despite its greater distance from the Sun.

Clouds of Sulfuric Acid

There is more if you feel Venus’s heavy carbon dioxide atmosphere is insufficient. Venus, likewise, is covered in a layer of sulfuric acid-based poisonous clouds. These clouds reflect around 75% of sunlight back into space, not alone obstructing it. Although you would believe this would chill the earth, Venus’s extraordinary heat is greatly maintained by these clouds.

The clouds’ insulating layer keeps surface heat from escaping into space. Rather than relieving the strong heat, they create another barrier locking in the high temperatures. Moreover, these sulfuric acid clouds make Venus a very hazardous location for any possible spacecraft or next exploratory expedition.

The patterns of the planet’s weather are equally strange. Venus has sluggish, whirling winds that stir her thick atmosphere. These winds guarantee Venus stays uniformly blazing hot, day and night by distributing heat over the planet. Whether on the dark side or the side facing the Sun, there is no escape from the heat.

Venus’ Proximity to the Sun

One could believe that a planet’s temperature is entirely determined by its distance from the Sun. Mercury is the closest planet, after all; hence, logically, it should be the hottest. Still, that is not the case. Though it is significantly further than Mercury, Venus, which circles the Sun at 67 million miles (108 million kilometers), is the hottest planet.

For what reason? Again, Venus’ atmosphere is the answer. Mercury is closer to the Sun but lacks a heat-trapping atmosphere. Mercury cools rapidly without an atmospheric blanket because it loses heat at night. However, Venus’ atmosphere traps heat day and night, keeping it scorching hot regardless of its distance from the Sun.

While proximity to the Sun affects a planet’s temperature, it’s not the sole factor. Venus shows that a thick atmosphere rich in heat-trapping gasses can greatly affect a planet’s climate.

Surface Conditions

Venus’s surface is as hostile as her atmosphere. Huge plains, towering volcanoes, and impact craters define the planet’s rocky surface. Venus’s volcanoes, unlike Earth’s, most likely remain active and spew lava over the globe. This volcanic activity and the strong heat and pressure make the surface quite hostile.

The lack of water on Venus is especially remarkable. The seas of Earth help to control temperature through heat absorption and distribution around the planet. Venus does not have water; any that might have existed evaporated long ago from the planet’s great heat. Venus’s surface stays shockingly hot without water to absorb and distribute heat.

The ground temperatures are so extreme that even spacecraft meant to investigate Venus can only last a few hours before giving in to the great heat and pressure. The Soviet Union’s Venera probes were the first to land on Venus and returned priceless information before the planet’s hostile environment destroyed them.

Facts About Venus

Venus is not only the hottest planet but also distinguished in the solar system by a few other special qualities.

• Retrograde Rotation: Venus revolves in the opposite way most solar system planets do. On Venus, the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east. Early in the planet’s history, a major collision is believed to have produced this retrograde spin.
• A Day on Venus is Longer than a Year: The planet Venus rotates rather slowly. A day on Venus (one spin) is 243 Earth days. However, Venus orbits the Sun every 225 Earth days, making a day on Venus longer than a year.
• No Moons: Venus and Mercury both don’t have any natural satellites. Even though Venus is about the same size as Earth, it has never had a moon, which makes it even more special.

Conclusion

Venus, the hottest planet in the solar system, deserves its extremes. Though its proximity to the Sun contributes, its thick, carbon dioxide-filled atmosphere and runaway greenhouse effect are the main causes of its high heat. Venus’ sulfuric acid clouds, lack of water, and volcanic landscape make it attractive but hostile.

Understanding Venus helps us understand our solar system, greenhouse gases, and planetary atmospheres. Scientists studying Venus may discover how planets evolve and why some become furnaces and others habitable.