10
4
Because Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun, you might
think that it is the hottest planet in the solar system. But think
again. That honor goes to Venus.
Venus is farther from the Sun than Mercury. But its thick
atmosphere traps the Sun’s hot rays. That makes the planet’s
surface heat up to a sizzling 900°F (482°C). Yowzah!
The Sun may not be the only thing heating up Venus.
More than 100,000 volcanoes dot the planet’s surface.
And scientists have spotted signs of recent lava flows.
Venus spins very slowly, so its days are really long—243
Earth days long. Because Venus is close to the Sun, its years
are fairly short—just 228 Earth days. That means the days on
Venus are longer than the years. Now that’s incredible!
Venus: It’s Hot!
Hot! Hot!
