Why is Venus hotter than Mercury even though it is farther away from the sun?

The carbon dioxide traps most of the heat from the Sun. The cloud layers also act as a blanket. The result is a “runaway greenhouse effect” that has caused the planet’s temperature to soar to 465°C, hot enough to melt lead. This means that Venus is even hotter than Mercury.

The surface of Venus has been mapped by radar. The maps show thousands of volcanoes and impact craters. There are two main upland areas, with a mountain range taller than Mt. Everest.

Dozens of spacecraft have visited Venus, but many mysteries remain. ESA’s Venus Express has been in near-polar orbit around the planet since it arrived in April 2006. Most of its instruments have been studying the dense atmosphere and rapidly moving clouds, or investigating how the Sun affects the planet. However, its infrared sensor has also been able to map some of the surface and show that active volcanoes may exist on Earth’s neighbour.

 

Picture Credit : Google