Page 14 - Demo

13%u201cMercury is the smallest planet in our Solar System,%u201d Mrs. Diana began, %u201cIt%u2019s even smaller than Earth%u2019s moon. And it%u2019s really close to the Sun, so it%u2019s very hot.%u201d%u201cHotter than an oven?%u201d Carol asked.%u201cWell, not exactly, Carol. But it%u2019s definitely much hotter than here on Earth. Mercury doesn%u2019t have much of an atmosphere to trap heat, so it can get very, very hot during the day.%u201dMrs. Diana continued, %u201cNow, Venus is often called Earth%u2019s %u2018sister planet%u2019 because it%u2019s similar in size. But it%u2019s also known as the hottest planet because it%u2019s the hottest planet in our Solar System, even hotter than Mercury.%u201d%u201cWhy is it so hot, Mrs. Diana?%u201d asked Carol.%u201cGood question, Carol,%u201d Mrs. Diana replied. %u201cVenus is hot because it has a thick atmosphere so its atmosphere traps heat from the Sun. This causes a sort of greenhouse effect.%u201d%u201cThat%u2019s interesting. Venus is farther from the Sun than Mercury, but it is hotter than Mercury,%u201d said Carol.%u201cYou%u2019re right, Carol. I think you are more curious about space than me,%u201d said Mrs. Diana.