Which planet in our solar system rotates on its axis clockwise?

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

💡 Need a hint?

This planet is covered in a thick layer of clouds and is known as the hottest planet in our solar system. It can be seen with the naked eye, and is sometimes called the “morning and evening star”.

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The correct answer is B. Venus is the only major planet that rotates clockwise (from east to west) on its axis, which is called retrograde rotation. On most other planets, the sun rises in the east. On Venus, you would see it rise in the west.

📚 More background information

Venus is an odd one out, and that’s putting it mildly. Besides rotating in the wrong direction, it also takes a remarkably long time to do so: one day on Venus is longer than one year on Venus. The planet rotates more slowly on its own axis than it takes to complete a full orbit around the sun. Let that sink in for a moment, and it starts to make your head spin a little.

Why is that? Scientists haven’t fully figured it out. A massive collision early in the history of our solar system may have played a role, or the interaction between the dense atmosphere and the sun. Perhaps both. It remains an open question, and that makes Venus as a subject just a little more interesting than you might expect.

Then there’s the temperature, which adds another layer to it all. Surface temperatures on Venus are high enough to melt lead, thanks to an extremely powerful greenhouse effect. The thick atmosphere traps heat as though a window is never opened. Mercury is closer to the sun, but its surface doesn’t get nearly as hot. That in itself is a quiz fact that leaves many a contestant momentarily stumped.

For a pub quiz, this is a classic trick question. Most people guess Mars or one of the gas giants, as those intuitively feel “strange”. But the answer lies with our immediate neighbour: nearly a twin sister to Earth in terms of size, yet a completely different world in terms of habitability. Anyone who knows this will see the table looking just a little surprised.