Every planet in the solar system has unique weather. While Earth's weather is the most varied on any single planet, other planets have amazing and tempestuous atmospheric conditions as well.
Weather on Mercury
Mercury has no atmosphere due to its closeness to the sun. Any air that was around Mecury in its early years has since boiled off due to the extreme heat. Mercury's lack of an atmosphere makes for a wild climate, with incredible temperature swings from its day to night sides. Where the sun touches the surface of Mercury, the temperature is a scorching 750 degrees Fahrenheit. On the night side with no layer of atmosphere to trap the heat, it escapes back into space, leaving a chilling -300 degree Fahrenheit surface.
Weather on Venus
Venus has an amazingly thick atmosphere made up of 97 percent carbon dioxide. The swirling clouds allow for no view of the surface from above, and the pressure at the surface is 92 times stronger than on Earth. Venus's temperature is 900 degrees Fahrenheit, the hottest of any planet. Its atmosphere resulted from strong volcanic activity in its past. Sulfuric acid rain falls from the clouds but evaporates before reaching the ground.
Weather on Mars
Mars's atmosphere is also mostly carbon dioxide, but the atmosphere is much thinner than on Venus. The temperatures on Mars range from 80 degrees to -200 degrees Fahrenheit. Mars experiences seasons, during which its icy polar cap migrates from north to south, causing clouds and storms on the planet. Dust storms are frequent occurrences, along with towering dust devils that scour the surface. Because there is water vapor in Mars's atmosphere, fog and frost also form on the Red Planet.
Weather on Jupiter
The clouds in Jupiter's atmosphere are striped with dark belts and light zones. High winds and lightning are a regular feature on Jupiter, and the Great Red Spot is cyclonic type storm that has been brewing for at least 400 years, when Galileo first saw it through a telescope. Other small eddies and whorls form and dissipate in the cloud layers. The temperature on Jupiter is approximately -234 degrees Fahrenheit.
Weather on Saturn
Like the other gas giant planets, Saturn's atmosphere is mainly hydrogen and helium. Saturn is a windy planet, with 1,000 mile-an-hour winds that do a good job of mixing the atmosphere and making it appear homogeneous through Earth-based telescopes. Saturn's tilt creates seasons and uneven temperatures on the planet. The top of the clouds have an average temperature of -285 degrees Fahrenheit, with warmer temperatures deeper in. A churning hexagonal cloud formation has been spotted near the North Pole and has persisted for a few decades now.
Weather on Uranus
Uranus is unlike the other planets in that it is tipped on its side, and, in essence, rolls along in its orbit. At -350 degrees Fahrenheit, its atmospheric conditions stay the same for many years at a time (its year is 84 Earth years), until it experiences seasonal changes, sparking storms in its atmosphere.
Weather on Neptune
Neptune is the record holder for the windiest place in the solar system. At about 1,250 miles per hour, the winds of Neptune make for a stormy place, evidences by a Great Dark Spot that is a giant hurricane-like storm, similar to the Great Red Spot on Jupiter. The methane gas in the atmosphere is what makes the planet appear blue. White storms clouds that zip across the planet are common, the most well-known of these has been named Scooter. Neptune's temperature averages -373 degrees Fahrenheit.
While Earth has the most dynamic weather in the solar system, all the planets' atmospheres have something unique to offer.
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