science 🔥 Venus is hotter than Mercury, despite being further out
Venus holds the highest surface temperature in the Solar System, even though it orbits 50 million kilometers farther from the Sun than Mercury. Live Science reports that Venus reaches about 480°C, hotter than Mercury's 430°C. This extreme heat is caused by Venus's dense atmosphere, which is mostly carbon dioxide. The greenhouse effect traps infrared radiation, maintaining high temperatures on the planet. Scientists suggest Venus is in a post-runaway greenhouse state due to its retained atmospheric energy.