Question

Mercury is closer to the Sun than the Venus. But Venus is hotter than Mercury. This is because

• A. Mercury has no atmosphere and Venus has a thick atmosphere which can retain the heat.
• B. Mercury is mostly made up of sedimentary rocks while Venus contains igneous rocks.
• C. Mercury being closer to the Sun, Sun absorbs the heat of the Mercury.
• D. All of the above are true.

Answer 1

The correct option is A Mercury has no atmosphere and Venus has a thick atmosphere which can retain the heat.

Venus is hotter due to the greenhouse effect: Venus has an atmosphere about ninety times thicker than that of Earth, and made almost entirely of carbon dioxide, which is one of the gasses that causes the greenhouse effect on Earth. On the other hand, Mercury's atmosphere contains small amounts of hydrogen, helium, and oxygen. So, the heat received can be emitted as well. This is the reason why Venus is hotter than Mercury.