Which planet has the most extreme temperature swings in the Solar System?

Mercury gets a special shout-out for being the world with the most extreme temperature swings in the Solar System. This has to do with Mercury’s proximity to the Sun, orbital and rotational speeds, and lack of substantial atmosphere.

Why is Venus a colder planet than the Sun?

Planetary surface temperatures tend to get colder the farther a planet is from the Sun. Venus is the exception, as its proximity to the Sun, and its dense atmosphere make it our solar system's hottest planet. The mean temperatures of planets in our solar system are:

Should solar cells be operated at high temperature?

A priori, it is not advisable to operate solar cells at high temperature. The reason is simple: conversion efficiency drops with temperature. 1 In spite of this, there are cases in which solar cells are put under thermal stress (Figure 1).

Are some places in the Solar System cooler than others?

We all know that space is cool, but some places in the Solar System are cooler than others — literally. There is an extremely wide range of temperatures throughout our cosmic neighborhood, from the searing heat of the Sun to the icy outer reaches of the Oort Cloud. Here’s our list of some of the hottest and coldest places in the Solar System.

Can solar cells survive high temperatures?

The fundamental physics governing the thermal sensitivity of solar cells and the main criteria determining the ability of semiconductor materials to survive high temperatures are recalled. Materials and architectures of a selection of the solar cells tested so far are examined.

How does a planetary orbiter heat a planet?

For the case of a planetary orbiter, the temperature is somewhat greater since the solar array is heated not only by the incident solar flux, but also by solar flux reflected by the planet (known as “albedo”), as well as infrared emitted by the planet. This additional heating becomes more significant as the orbital altitude decreases.