Answer: Venus

Although it would be easy to assume that Mercury, as the innermost planet in our solar system, is the hottest planet, that isn’t the case. The next in line, Mercury’s neighbor Venus, is the hottest planet in the solar system thanks to a dense and carbon dioxide rich atmosphere that is effectively insulating and smothering the planet like a giant blanket.

This thick atmosphere is also responsible for the temperature stability on the planet. Unlike other planets that experience significant temperature swings as a result of daily rotation, seasonal orbits, and other variables, Venus has a nearly vertical axis (only 3 degrees of tilt compared to the Earth’s 23 degrees) as well as high speed winds at the top of the clouds (190 miles/300 km per hour) that distribute the heat from the Sun-exposed side to the shaded side. As a result of the atmosphere, tilt, and winds, the entire planet maintains a constant and scorching temperature of 864 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius).