4 ms·

Why does the atmosphere rotate faster than the planet?

• qayxc 5y ago
  Because unlike Earth, Venus receives a whole bunch of solar radiation on one hemisphere for months on end. This drives a substantial temperature differential that causes strong winds. Since a day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus, it doesn't take much for the atmosphere to rotate faster, either.
  • Razengan 5y ago
    > Since a day is longer than a year Wow, that is such a trippy sentence to sink in :)
    • loonster 5y ago
      When it becomes tidally locked, days will be infinitely long. It's far less trippy to think about a tidally locked planet than it is to think about one that is almost tidally locked.