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

💡 Need a hint?

This planet is known as the hottest in our solar system and is often clearly visible as a bright “star” in the morning or evening sky.

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The correct answer is B. Venus rotates on its axis in the opposite direction compared to most other planets, which means that on Venus the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn all rotate in the same direction as Earth.

📚 More background information

This reversed direction of rotation has a name: retrograde rotation. But Venus has another quirk that is at least equally surprising. The planet rotates so incredibly slowly on its axis that one day on Venus lasts longer than one year on Venus, both measured in Earth time. And then there is the atmosphere: a thick blanket of clouds that traps heat in a way that makes the planet the hottest in our solar system, even hotter than Mercury, which is considerably closer to the sun.

In pub quizzes, this is a classic trick question. Many people guess Mars, really just because it sounds so familiar. But the bizarre rotational behaviour truly belongs to Venus, and anyone who knows that has an edge that very few others have.