Why is Venus hotter than Mercury even though Mercury is closer to the Sun?
Quick Answer
Venus traps heat far more effectively than Mercury because of its thick carbon dioxide atmosphere and runaway greenhouse effect. Mercury has almost no atmosphere, so it cannot hold heat in the same way.
The Full Story
Venus is hotter than Mercury because its atmosphere is overwhelmingly dense carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulfuric acid, creating a runaway greenhouse effect. Sunlight heats the surface, and the thick atmosphere prevents that heat from escaping efficiently. Mercury is closer to the Sun, but it lacks a substantial atmosphere, so it absorbs intense sunlight by day and radiates heat away quickly at night. At the Venus surface, temperatures average about 465°C, hot enough to melt lead.
Key Facts
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"The second planet is hotter than the first—here’s why."