Hottest planet
Who
Venus
What
473 degree(s) Celsius
Where
Unzutreffend ()

The hottest planet in the Solar System is Venus, which has an average surface temperature of 473°C (747 Kelvin; 884°F).


Venus's extraordinarily high surface temperatures (hot enough to melt lead) are a consequence of its dense, insulating atmosphere. The Venusian atmosphere is 96% carbon dioxide (a powerful greenhouse gas), which traps heat from the Sun. This blanket of carbon dioxide also means that there is no difference between temperatures on the day and night sides of Venus, nor between the equator and the poles.

Mercury is much closer to the sun, and receives around four times more solar radiation, but as it lacks a significant atmosphere, this heat quickly dissipates. Surface temperatures on Mercury's day side climb almost as high as those on Venus (427°C; 798°F), but on the night side of the planet temperatures drop to -173°C (-279°F).

Measuring surface temperatures on Venus is extremely difficult. The dense, reflective clouds and insulating atmosphere make it impossible to take temperature readings remotely, and the punishingly hostile conditions in the lower atmosphere quickly destroy any surface landers. The figure of 473°C comes from measurements taken by the Soviet Union's Venera series of spacecraft, which sent 10 successful (if short-lived) landers and atmospheric probes to Venus between 1969 and 1982. Other estimates have been published, with values ranging from 462°C to 484°C, based on theoretical models of Venus' atmosphere.