The two planets are intriguingly different. Venus has the hotter surface because, yes, its thick atmosphere traps in the heat. Yet its temperature doesn't change between its day and night. Mercury, though a bit less hot during the day, drops an amazing 1000 degrees at night, and therefore has the greatest day/night variation of any body in the known universe.
The two planets are intriguingly different. Venus has the hotter surface because, yes, its thick atmosphere traps in the heat. Yet its temperature doesn't change between its day and night. Mercury, though a bit less hot during the day, drops an amazing 1000 degrees at night, and therefore has the greatest day/night variation of any body in the known universe.