Anyway, Mercury is a smaller planet and has a thin atmosphere. the solar wind is just sweeps it away. There is, in effect, no "air" to become heated. The ground gets hot, of course, while exposed to direct sunlight, but it also cools down very quickly (no insulation).
-
tham153 say: Its carbon dioxide atmosphere (97% CO2, and 95 times the density of Earth's atmosphere) traps heat from the Sun. Mercury however has next to no atmosphere (and what little it has is argon and helium, which don't trap heat).
-
poldi say: It has a thick atmosphere composed of greenhouse gases, so very little of the heat from the sun radiates to space to cool the planett.
Mercury has almost no atmosphere, to heat from the planet can radiate to space from the night side.
Its sad they don't teach basic science in school these days.
-
quantumclaustrophobe say: It has a very thick atmosphere (90 times thicker than Earth's), and it's almost all CO2 - which retains heat very well.
-
Ianab say: Insulation from the dense atmosphere. Means the heat that the planet does collect is mostly trapped. Like the way a cloudy night is warmer than a clear one. Clouds reflect more of the heat back towards the ground.
Mercury has no atmosphere, so although it gets brighter sunlight, the heat gets radiated back into space quicker.
The dark side of Mercury can get down to -280F, because it never sees sunlight, and again no atmosphere. It's tidally locked with the same side always facing the sun.
-
Anonymous say: Cuz
-
Captain Matticus, LandPiratesInc say: The same reason why a greenhouse is warmer inside than outside
-
Julie say: Green house effect I imagine.
-
Steven say: Because Venus was run by conservatives who didn't "believe in global warming".
-
Bill say: Cloud Cover - Greenhouse Effect.
-
CarolOklaNola say: Venus has an atmosphere that iw more than 96% carbon dioxide with 90 atmospheres of pressure at the surface along with sulfuring acid. Venus is closer to the Sun as well, so the green house effect and the constant clouds trap all the heat that trying to escape into pace, increasing the temperature of Venus's atmosphere AND the surface.. Mercury does not have much of an atmosphere. even though it is closer to the Sun. Those are the major reasons why Venus 's surface is hotter than Mercury's Venus also has a liquid outer core that is still cool down, just like Earth's..