Question 193
MediumOriginal questionMercury is the planet closest to the Sun, so you might expect it to be the hottest. It is not. That belongs to Venus, the second planet.
Venus is wrapped in a thick atmosphere full of carbon dioxide, a gas that heat, under clouds made of sulphuric acid. The trapped heat makes Venus so hot that a metal like lead would melt into puddles on its surface.
In size, Venus is almost the Earth's ; the Earth is only a little bigger. But in almost every other way it is strange. It spins in the direction from the Earth and most other planets, and it spins very slowly, taking about 243 Earth days to turn round once. Yet because it is close to the Sun, it takes only 225 Earth days to travel all the way round it. So on Venus a day is a little longer than a year.
That leads to some odd sunrises. Because Venus turns backwards, its Sun rises in the west and sets in the east, and it rises only about once every 117 Earth days. Like Mercury, Venus has no moon at all.
Why is a day on Venus longer than a year?
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
It takes about 243 Earth days to spin once but only 225 Earth days to go round the Sun.
So one spin, its day, lasts longer than one trip round the Sun, its year.
Worth noting
The Sun does rise and set on Venus, about once every 117 Earth days.
- Concept
- Comparing two figures
- Typical timeTypical
- 40 s
- Your timeYours
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