What is the hottest planet in our Solar System?

Question: What is the hottest planet in our Solar System?

Show answer

Venus.

The hottest planet in our Solar System is Venus, not Mercury as one might assume due to its proximity to the Sun. Venus is the second planet from the Sun, but it has a thick atmosphere made mostly of carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulfuric acid, which creates a strong greenhouse effect that traps heat.

Venus’ average surface temperature is around 467 degrees Celsius (872 degrees Fahrenheit), which is hotter than the surface of Mercury, which reaches temperatures between -173 degrees Celsius (-279 degrees Fahrenheit) at night to 427 degrees Celsius (801 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day. Despite Mercury being closer to the Sun, its lack of atmosphere to retain and redistribute the Sun’s heat causes it to be less hot on average than Venus.