Though Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, it is not the hottest planet. VENUS is the hottest planet in our Solar System. This is because of the kind of atmosphere in both the planets.
The atmosphere of Venus is very thick which is almost 90 times thicker than Earth's atmosphere. It contains 96% carbon dioxide( CO2) . This CO2 traps heat from the Sun (known as Green House Effect). So, the average temperature on the surface of Venus is 462oC.
On the other hand, Mercury has the thinnest atmosphere(sometimes it is considered as if it has no atmosphere) in the Solar System. The average temperature on the surface of Mercury facing the Sun is 427oC and that of facing away from the Sun is -173oC.
On the other hand, Mercury has the thinnest atmosphere(sometimes it is considered as if it has no atmosphere) in the Solar System. The average temperature on the surface of Mercury facing the Sun is 427oC and that of facing away from the Sun is -173oC.
