The hottest planet in the Solar System is Venus. Despite not being the closest planet to the Sun, Venus holds the title of the hottest due to its thick atmosphere which is composed mainly of carbon dioxide, with clouds made of sulfuric acid. This composition results in a strong greenhouse effect, trapping heat and leading to surface temperatures that can reach up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit (about 475 degrees Celsius). This extreme heat is hot enough to melt lead and is consistently hotter than the surface of Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun.
Venus has an atmosphere that is about 92 times denser than Earth’s, allowing for an intense pressure that contributes to its extreme surface conditions. The clouds of sulfuric acid not only add to the atmospheric pressure, but they also reflect about 70% of sunlight, giving Venus its bright appearance in the sky.
Interestingly, Venus has an axial tilt of about 177.4 degrees, meaning it rotates on its axis in the opposite direction to most planets, including Earth. A single day on Venus (the time it takes for the planet to rotate once on its axis) is longer than a Venusian year (the time it takes to orbit the Sun) – about 243 Earth days for a day versus 225 Earth days for a year. Furthermore, Venus has a very slow rotation, taking much longer to rotate fully compared to its orbital period.
Another fascinating aspect of Venus is its surface geological features. The planet is covered with volcanoes, mountains, and vast lava plains. Some scientists believe that there may still be active volcanoes on Venus. The landscape resembles that of Earth under certain conditions, but there are significant differences mainly due to the hostile conditions and lack of water on Venus.
In terms of exploration, Venus has been visited by numerous spacecraft, including the Soviet Union's Venera missions, which successfully landed on the surface and transmitted data back to Earth. In recent years, scientists are once again turning their attention to Venus, sparked by new studies of its atmosphere and potential for past life, reigniting interest in understanding one of our closest planetary neighbors.