Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system with a surface temperature of 864°F (462°C). This temperature is high enough to melt lead.

The atmosphere on Venus is 96.5% carbon dioxide. It is 90 times heavier than the atmosphere on Earth. This creates a surface pressure similar to being 3,000 feet deep in the ocean. The air is so thick that it moves slowly like water near the ground.In 1970, the Soviet Union sent the Venera 7 probe to the surface. It was the first spacecraft to land and send back data from another planet. The extreme heat and pressure destroyed the probe in only 23 minutes. In 1982, the Venera 13 probe survived for 127 minutes before failing.Venus is 67 million miles away from the Sun. Mercury is much closer at 36 million miles. However, the carbon dioxide on Venus creates a runaway greenhouse effect. This keeps the temperature the same during the day and the night.Clouds on Venus are made of sulfuric acid. These clouds reflect 70% of the sunlight that hits them. The small amount of light that reaches the surface cannot get back out. This makes Venus about 30°F hotter than the hottest parts of Mercury.