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You are here: Home / Space / What Effect Does the Atmosphere Have On the Planet Venus and Why Is Venus Hotter Than Mercury?

What Effect Does the Atmosphere Have On the Planet Venus and Why Is Venus Hotter Than Mercury?

June 1, 2020 by Karen Hill

The two major results of Venus’s atmosphere are the amount of pressure it exerts on the planet’s surface and the heat it traps.

Carbon dioxide is a heavier gas than nitrogen.

Because the atmosphere is more than 96 percent carbon dioxide, the pressure is ninety times greater on Venus than on Earth.

Without state-of-the-art, space-age protection, anything landing on Venus from Earth would be instantly crushed.

This extreme pressure also traps the planet’s natural heat so that it does not dissipate into space.

Venus is the brightest and hottest planet in the solar system because it is covered with clouds.

The clouds reflect 80 percent of the light from the Sun.

While they allow the Sun’s ultraviolet rays to pass through, they block the rays’ heat from escaping back into space.

Related Facts

  • How Hot Does the Planet Mercury Get and Does the Planet Mercury Have an Atmosphere?
  • Why Does the Planet Venus Have Phases Like Mercury and Why Does Venus Sometimes Appear As a Crescent?
  • Why Is a Day Longer Than a Year On the Planet Mercury and How Long Is a Day On Mercury?
  • What Is the Atmosphere On the Planet Venus Made Of and Why Is Venus Permanently Covered By Dense Cloud?
  • Why Are There So Many Impact Craters On the Planet Mercury and How Many Surface Craters Does Mercury Have?
  • Does the Moon Have an Atmosphere and Is the Moon's Atmosphere Similar To Earth's Atmosphere?

Filed Under: Space

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What Is the Planet Mercury Made of and How Do Astronomers Know If Mercury’s Core Is Molten?
Next Post: What Is the Best Way To Observe the Planet Venus and Why Is Venus the Brightest Planet In the Sky? »

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