• A. Mars
  • B. Venus
  • C. Jupiter
  • D. Saturn

💡 Need a hint?

This planet is known as the hottest in our solar system and is sometimes called the “morning and evening star.”

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The correct answer is B. Venus rotates on its axis in the opposite direction (retrograde rotation) compared to most other planets. On Venus, the sun therefore rises in the west and sets in the east.

📚 More background information

Venus not only spins the wrong way, but also at a ridiculously slow rate. One full rotation on its axis takes longer than one orbit around the sun, meaning that a day on Venus is literally longer than a year on Venus. That’s not a typo.

Scientists believe that a massive collision in the distant past may have knocked the planet out of its original direction of rotation, though no definitive proof has been found. What is certain: Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system, with surface temperatures high enough to melt lead. Not because of its proximity to the sun, but due to an extreme greenhouse effect caused by a dense atmosphere consisting largely of carbon dioxide. That atmosphere traps heat so effectively that even Mercury, which sits much closer to the sun, falls far short of Venus when it comes to temperature.

A classic pub quiz question. Guaranteed that at least half your team will guess Mars.