Planets - Calculate Surface Temperature
Calculator for the mean surface temperature on Earth, Moon, Sun and planets, in Kelvin, degrees Celsius (centigrade), Fahrenheit and compared to each other. The temperature on a planets' surface depends mostly on its star, in case of Earth the Sun, and the distance to it. Another factor to consider is the composition of its atmosphere, particularly by greenhouse gases like CO2. On planets without an atmosphere, especially on Mercury, temperature differs extremely between day and night side. When compared to each other, to make a statement like 'on one planet, it is x times as warm as on the other', the ratio of the Kelvin values must be taken, because only the Kelvin temperature scale has a true zero.
Round to decimal places.Please enter one value, the other values will be calculated.
Example: on Venus, with its temperature of more than 460 degrees Celsius
The Sun is a yellow star that is slightly larger than average. Stars vary greatly in size and in the amount of energy they radiate. Consequently, the energy a planet receives depends on the type of star and the distance from it. Stars possess a so-called habitable zone, a distance range where liquid water, and thus temperatures conducive to life, can exist on planets. These factors, stellar type and distance, determine the amount of energy reaching a planet. However, the actual temperature is determined by how the planet absorbs and re-emits this energy. The nature of the atmosphere and the surface play the lead role here. Many gases with molecules consisting of more than two atoms absorb infrared radiation, thereby trapping heat in the atmosphere. Dark surfaces absorb a larger proportion of radiation, while light surfaces reflect a larger proportion, for this see albedo.
Last updated on 08/10/2026. Author: Jürgen Kummer
Calculators for Planets and Astronomy
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