You might think it’s Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun. Mercury orbits at a distance of only 58 million km, travelling in a blast-furnace of scorching radiation. Its temperature can skyrocket to 700 Kelvin, or 426 degrees Celsius on the sunward side. In the shadows, temperatures plunge down to 80 Kelvin, which is -173 degrees Celsius.

Venus is much further from the Sun, orbiting at a distance of more than 108 million km. Average temperature there is a hellish 735 Kelvin, or 462 degrees Celsius – hot enough to melt lead.

Venus remains that same temperature no matter where you go on the planet. At the North Pole? 735 Kelvin. At night? 735 Kelvin. Daytime at the equator? 735 Kelvin.

So, why is Venus so much hotter than Mercury, even though it’s further away from the Sun? It’s all about the atmosphere.

Mercury is an airless world, not unlike the Moon. Venus, has a very thick atmosphere of CO2, which adds incredible pressure, and traps in the heat.

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