Space
Daytime on Mercury can reach 800 degrees Fahrenheit. With no substantial atmosphere to hold that heat, nights can plunge to minus 290 degrees, NASA says.
ILLUSTRATION · AIMercury's surface can reach 800 degrees Fahrenheit by day and drop to minus 290 degrees at night, NASA says.
Because Mercury is so close to the Sun, daytime temperatures on its surface can reach 800 degrees Fahrenheit (430 degrees Celsius). The planet has no substantial atmosphere to retain that heat, so nighttime temperatures can fall to minus 290 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 180 degrees Celsius).
Even so, Mercury is not the hottest planet. That title belongs to Venus, whose dense atmosphere traps heat. Mercury is, however, the fastest planet, orbiting the Sun every 88 Earth days.
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