Hobbies And Interests
Venus
The planet most like the Earth is Venus. The two planets are enough alike that they are sometimes referred to as sister planets, but there are some significant differences that affect the weather on Venus. Venus is considerably closer to the sun than the Earth is, meaning it is much hotter with an average surface temperature of around 462 degrees C. Venus also turns much more slowly on its axis, making one rotation for every 243 Earth days. This results in an extremely weak magnetic field. The atmosphere is approximately 96 percent carbon dioxide and the surface is covered by a thick layer of sulfuric acid clouds. Winds at the surface move at a slow rate of only a few miles per hour, while winds at the upper reaches of the atmosphere may travel in excess of 200 mph, according to BBC Weather.
Mars
Mars, the Red Planet, has long intrigued scientists and ordinary stargazers because of its proximity to the Earth and its supposed network of canals that seemed to indicate an interplanetary civilization. Twentieth century exploration has revealed no indication of life on the planet, but Mars does exhibit many of the same weather characteristics of the Earth. According to NASA, Mars possesses polar ice caps, canyons, volcanoes and other landforms that affect the planet's weather systems, and the planet experiences definite seasons. The atmosphere is made up primarily of carbon dioxide, but is too thin to retain heat energy from the sun. According to NASA the temperature at night can dip down to 200 degrees below zero F, and daytime temperatures during the summer may reach up to 80 degrees. Mars is a desert planet and is subject to dust storms that can cover the entire planet and last for several weeks.
Jupiter
Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. It has a powerful magnetic field and a multitude of moons are trapped in its gravitational pull. Jupiter is a gas giant, thus it has no solid land mass. The most significant weather event on the planet is the Great Red Spot, which was discovered in the 1600s. The spot is a gigantic storm that is three times larger than the surface area of the Earth. The storm is an anti-cyclone, a high pressure storm that rotates counterclockwise, generating winds of more than 250 mph. The storm has been raging for more than 300 years and shows no signs of abating any time in the near future.