Venus: The Hottest Planet in the Solar System – What Makes Its Atmosphere Extreme?

KOMPAS.com – Venus is the second planet from the Sun, which is often called Earth’s twin because it has similar size, mass, density, composition and gravity.

Venus isn’t the closest planet to the Sun, but its dense atmosphere traps heat in a version of the greenhouse effect that warms Earth.

As a result, Venus is said to be the hottest planet in the solar system with temperatures reaching 471 degrees Celsius. This is more than enough to melt lead.

Atmosfer Planet Vekus

Venus’s atmosphere is considered extreme. With the hottest surface in the solar system, temperatures on Venus are even hotter than those of the innermost planet.

Venus’ atmosphere consists of 96% carbon dioxide, 3% nitrogen and 1% other gases. These other gases are mostly sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, water vapor, helium, argon and neon.

Also read: Why is the temperature on Venus hotter than on Mercury?

The researchers also found small amounts of oxygen in a thin layer of the planet’s atmosphere, although it was atomic oxygen (O), not the molecular oxygen (O2) that we breathe.

By comparison, Earth’s atmosphere consists of about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gases, including argon, carbon dioxide, neon, and others.

Because carbon dioxide is so dense that Venus’ atmosphere is about 93 times denser than Earth’s atmosphere.

If an astronaut could stand on the surface of Venus, it would be like having the weight of a small car on every square inch of his body or like being 1 kilometer below sea level on Earth without any protective equipment.

Thus, although no definite signs of life have been detected in Venus’s atmosphere, some researchers suggest it is possible that life exists in the planet’s relatively temperate climate and reduced atmospheric pressure.

Also read: Oxygen Has Been Detected in the Atmosphere Day and Night on Venus

Although these conditions are still more severe than conditions on Earth, some microorganisms on Earth, called “extremophiles”, live in similar conditions.

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2024-01-28 14:00:00
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