Solar System Superlatives

Exam Trick: When asked "Which is the Hottest Planet?", 80% of students tick Mercury because it is closest to the Sun.
The correct answer is Venus. Let's find out why.

1. The Planetary Lineup

Here are the record-holders of our neighborhood.

⚪ Mercury Smallest & Fastest

88 days to orbit Sun.

🟠 Venus Hottest & Brightest

"Morning Star"

🟤 Jupiter Biggest & Heaviest

The "Winter Planet"

🔵 Uranus "Rolling Planet"

Spins on its side (98° tilt).

2. The Main Mystery: Why is Venus Hottest?

Logic dictates that temperature should drop as you move away from the fire (Sun). But Venus breaks this rule.

MERCURY

Distance: 58M km

Atmosphere: Almost None.

Heat escapes back into space instantly.

VS

VENUS

Distance: 108M km

Atmosphere: Thick CO₂ (95%).

Traps heat like a blanket (Greenhouse Effect).

Result: Venus maintains a hellish temperature of 462°C, while Mercury freezes at night!

3. Other Exam Favorites

• Red Planet: Mars (Due to Iron Oxide / Rust).
• Blue Planet: Earth (Due to Water).
• Green Planet: Uranus (Due to Methane gas).
• Great Red Spot: A giant storm on Jupiter (bigger than Earth).
• Least Dense: Saturn. (If you had a bathtub big enough, Saturn would float on water!).

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Revision Flashcards

Morning Star

Which planet is it?

Venus

It is the brightest object in the sky after Sun and Moon.

Ganymede

Largest moon of?

Jupiter

It is the largest satellite in the entire solar system (bigger than Mercury!).

Phobos & Deimos

Moons of which planet?

Mars

These are the two tiny moons of the Red Planet.

Asteroid Belt

Lies between?

Mars & Jupiter

The belt of rocks separates the Inner Planets from the Outer Planets.

Exam-Style MCQs

Q1. Which planet rotates from East to West (Opposite to Earth)?

A) Mars

B) Venus

Correct! Venus and Uranus rotate clockwise (Retrograde). All others rotate anti-clockwise.

C) Jupiter

Q2. The "Great Red Spot" is a feature of which planet?

A) Saturn

B) Jupiter

Correct! It is a massive anti-cyclonic storm.

C) Mars

Q3. Which planet is known as Earth's Twin?

A) Venus

Correct! Because it is almost the same size, mass, and density as Earth.

B) Mars

C) Neptune

Part of the Geography Revision Series.