The hottest-world mystery
15 minutes · Paper · Pencil
Your investigation
- Write two hypotheses: “closest always means hottest” and “atmospheres can change temperature.”
- Draw Mercury near the Sun and Venus a little farther out. Give Venus a thick atmosphere label and Mercury a very thin exosphere label.
- Read the Mercury and Venus cards. Circle which hypothesis the comparison supports.
- Write a short evidence-based explanation for a younger explorer.
Think, draw, explain
Which world has the hotter surface overall?
What else, besides distance, should a temperature explanation consider?
Grown-up guide & possible answers
- Venus has the hotter surface overall despite being farther from the Sun than Mercury.
- Atmospheric composition and the greenhouse effect matter. This comparison disproves the simple claim that distance alone determines surface temperature.