Scientists have discovered a new planet. The planet is in a solar system whose star is similar in size to the sun and is about as far from the star as Venus is from the sun. The planet is similar in size to Earth, and its atmosphere is similar in thickness to Earth’s atmosphere. The atmosphere is composed almost entirely of carbon dioxide and methane.
In three to five sentences, make a hypothesis about the temperature on the planet’s surface. Explain your answer using information about the planet’s location and atmosphere.
Based on the information provided, we can make a hypothesis about the temperature on the surface of the newly discovered planet. The fact that the planet is about the same distance from its star as Venus is from the sun suggests that it receives a similar amount of solar energy. However, its atmosphere being composed almost entirely of carbon dioxide and methane indicates the presence of greenhouse gases which can trap heat, potentially leading to a higher surface temperature compared to Earth. Thus, our hypothesis would be that the surface temperature on this planet is likely to be much warmer than that of Earth.
