Which planet in the Solar System is the hottest? Which is the smallest?

Question

I have been ask this question over and over again. I've belived that the answer is for the hottest planet is Venus while the smallest is Mercury but my friends said that I was wrong. Please help.

Answer 1

Well, give yourself a pat in the back, because YOU ARE RIGHT !

Mercury's surface temperature is between 90 and 700 K, with an average of 440 K (the fact it does not have an atmosphere explains the huge difference). Venus' surface temperature ranges from 228 to 773 K, with an average of 737 K (this time, tha atmosphere provides a super efficient green house effect).
(Of course, a lot can be argued about how hot it gets in the center of a planet, and what is the definition of surface for gas giants like Jupiter, but that is another debate)

For the size, that entirely depends on the definition of "planet". Since Pluto is out, and there are only 8 major planets according to the current definition, Mercury is the smallest, and the second smallest is Mars.

Answer 2

Mercury is the smallest because Pluto has been demoted to asteroid status. The side of Mercury that faces the sun will be the hottest, hotter than Venus. Mercury however has no atmosphere so it gets cold on the dark side of the planet. Venus will have generally a higher average temperature due to the high amount of greenhouse gases in its atmosphere. The greenhouse gases keep the heat retained so even at night the temperature on Venus will be quite warm.

Answer 3

Venus is surely the hottest planet.Pluto was considered the smallest planet before it was stripped off from the solar system as a planet when definition of the term planet was revised collectively by the astromers all over the world.With this change in mind now mercury is the smallest planet.

Answer 4

ur right both times. Ur friends are just messing with u. Mercury is the smallest because pluto is no longer a planet. Venus is the hottest because its toxic atmosphere traps heat making it reach up to 450 degrees Celsius. Mercury might come close but trust me, Venus is the hottest planet.

Answer 5

venus is more hotter than mercury coz venus's atmosphere traps the heat from the sun (rather like a greenhouse) and make it even hotter than the mercury. venus is about the 2 double distance far from the sun in comparision with mercury but venus is more hotter tahn mercury.
When pluto was a planet it was the smallest planet but now as pluto is not a planet, mercury is the smallest.
don't worry man u r right. don't listen 2 what the others say.

Answer 6

If you want the right answer - Venus is the hottest and Mercury is the smallest.

If you want the wrong answer - Mercury is the hottest and smallest

Answer 7

Based on average temperature Venus is the hottest and Mercury is the smallest.

Answer 8

Mercury gets hotter in spots, but Venus is hotter on average. Mercury is also the smallest planet by the new definition, since Pluto is a dwarf planet now. Ceres is the smallest dwarf planet.

Answer 9

Mercury has the highest temperature variance, it is not the hottest and coldest. "The axis of rotation is almost perpendicular to the orbital plane, so Mercury does not have opposite seasons in each hemisphere, as Earth has. Instead, the temperature at the equator varies as the planet's distance from the Sun changes during its orbital travels. The maximum temperature is 700K (427C), but the minimum only 90K (-183C). Mercury has very little atmosphere so the surface cools down rapidly on the night side. By contrast, Venus, with its thick atmosphere, maintains a fairly stable temperature which is slightly higher than the maximum on Mercury."

Answer 10

I think Pluto is the smallest in our solarsystem (is it still accepted as a planet? Otherwise its Mercury)
as for the hottest I'm pretty sure thats venus