Museum of Science and Industry

As in much of the U.S. this summer, the heat in the Midwest has been hard to handle. Days after days of 100+ degree heat have zapped our air conditioners and have made daily living just a little bit harder.

However, the temperatures we're having here are nothing compared to those in Death Valley in California. One day last month, the desert reached 128 degrees Fahrenheit for a high, and "only" 107 as a low, setting or tying world records for highest low temperature and highest average for a 24-hour period. Ouch!

However, this is nothing compared to Venus, our sisterly neighbor, where the average surface temperature is 890 degrees Fahrenheit—hot enough to melt lead! Though Mercury is closest to the sun, Venus is the solar system's hottest planet, where an atmosphere that is 97% carbon dioxide creates a massive greenhouse effect.

The next time you feel yourself desperate for relief from the heat, just remember—it could be worse. Much, much worse!

So You Think YOU'RE Hot? [Smithsonian] [via Discovery]

Images: iStockphoto, NASA