Why is Venus hotter than Mercury?

 

Our Solar System is a vast place full with a number of objects such as Planets, Dwarfs, Satellites, Comets, and Asteroids etc. Due to presence of a large number of objects in the space the place is also full of various mysteries and phenomena some of which are known to us and many more which are away from our reach.

But in some last decades we have made crucial progress in space research and technology. Due to which today we know much more than what we knew some centuries ago. We can study the structure and properties of various objects present in the Solar System and solve numerous mysteries.

 

We all know that Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. Thus being so close it must be the hottest. No, Actually Venus (the second closest planet) is the hottest of all the planets in the solar system. But you all curious people must ask why? 

The science we study or feel in our day to day life gives us the fact that if two objects are heated then the closest object usually becomes hotter than the distant one. So Mercury must be the hottest planet. Congratulations you have literally proved that the observations made are wrong. Have you really?

So let’s learn why actually the research says that Venus is hotter than Mercury.

The Case of Mercury

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. Thus it receives the maximum amount of heat and light directly from the Sun in comparison to all the other planets of our Solar System. Thus making its average temperature during daytime raises up to 430 degree Celsius which make it enormous hot.

But this planet has an evil within itself. Mercury doesn't possess any actual atmosphere. The atmosphere of a planet captures the heat and keeps the planet hotter during nights. But Mercury having no such atmosphere loses all the heat gained from Sun during its nights. Thus the temperature here falls down to -180 degree Celsius. 

The Case of Venus

Venus is the second closest planet to the Sun. It also receives plenty of heat and lights from the Sun thus its temperature raises to a high extent during daytimes. But Unlike Mercury Venus possesses a thick layer of atmosphere consisting of mostly Carbon Dioxide.

Carbon Dioxide is a greenhouse gas. Green houses gases are such gases which block the escape of heat. These greenhouse gases prevent our Earth from becoming a frozen planet and regulate the temperature. The presence of Carbon Dioxide stops the escape of the maximum amount of heat transferred by the Sun.

 

Due to which Venus gains average temperature here reaches up to 470 degree Celsius which is even hotter than that of Mercury.