Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system. The surface temperature there averages 460° C–that’s hot enough to melt lead! Even though Mercury is closer to the Sun, Venus has something that guarantees it this hot-spot billing: a dense, yellow layer of clouds that acts like an insulating blanket. The clouds reflect a lot of the Sun’s rays, but the rays that do get through are trapped. In this way, the clouds act a bit like the glass of a greenhouse and prevent the Sun’s heat from escaping. This "greenhouse effect" causes surface temperatures to rise.
- Venus shines brightly in our sky because its thick blanket of cloud does a great job of reflecting the Sun’s light.
- Venus in named after the Roman goddess of love.
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