2023-12-29 02:49:36
The hottest planet in the solar system registers high amounts of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere. Photo: LR/NASA composition
The Sun reaches temperatures of up to 15,000,000 degrees Celsius, according to NASA. This might lead us to think that the first planet in the solar system – Mercury – is, consequently, the hottest. However, the celestial bodies that share the same system with the Earth have several peculiarities that mean that the one closest to the imposing star is not necessarily the one with the highest temperatures.
In reality, Venus, the second closest to the Sun, is the one that presents the greatest amount of heat. This, among other reasons, occurs due to the particular chemical composition in its atmosphere. Find out all the details below.
Why is Venus the hottest planet in the solar system?
“Venus “has a thick atmosphere that traps heat in a runaway greenhouse effect, making it the hottest planet in our solar system,” says the official website of the NASA. Furthermore, its environment is composed mainly of carbon dioxide (96%) and nitrogen (3%).
The abundant amount of carbon dioxide causes the heat coming from the Sun to concentrate on the planet. As explained Alejandro Farah Simóna member of the Institute of Astronomy of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), to National Geographic, this causes “the average temperature of this celestial body to be more than 450 degrees Celsius (Celsius).”
The surface of Venus is so hot that it can melt lead. Photo: NASA
In reality, Venus can reach temperatures of up to 464°C, explains NASA. Its territory is so hot that it might even melt lead. Furthermore, having a thick atmosphere, the Sun is seen only as a spot of light.
What characteristics does Venus, the hottest planet in the solar system, have?
This planet is similar to Tierra in size. It has no moons and its surface has volcanic plains and fissures. Likewise, it rotates in the opposite direction – from east to west – to most of the rest of the celestial bodies in the solar system.
Venus was once composed of a habitable ocean. Photo: NASA
There is a possibility that Venus has been composed of a habitable ocean. However, this would have been at least a billion years ago, as the runaway greenhouse effect caused surface water to turn into vapor and leak into space, according to NASA.
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