Venus: Earth’s Deadly Twin

With surface temperatures soaring to a scorching 900°F (475°C)—hot enough to melt tin, lead, and zinc—Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system. This extreme heat is caused by a runaway greenhouse effect. Sunlight passes through Venus' thick atmosphere, but once it reflects off the surface as heat, it becomes trapped, unable to escape. While Earth experiences a similar effect, Venus’ proximity to the Sun and dense carbon dioxide atmosphere make it far more intense.

But Venus isn't just hot—it’s also dazzlingly bright in our night sky. This is due to its thick clouds of highly reflective sulfuric acid, which scatter sunlight and make Venus one of the most luminous objects visible from Earth.

If the heat wasn’t hostile enough, standing on Venus’ surface would feel like being 3,000 feet (900 meters) underwater due to its crushing atmospheric pressure. With scorching temperatures, acid rain, and an air pressure that could crush a submarine, Venus truly earns its reputation as Earth’s deadly twin.

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