claim: The sun was so intense, it took the mercury up to in excess of 120°F as it topped out at 122.4 °F ( 50.2°C ).
evidence: Having almost no atmosphere to retain heat, it has surface temperatures that vary diurnally more than on any other planet in the Solar System, ranging from 100 K ( −173 °C; −280 °F ) at night to 700 K ( 427 °C; 800 °F ) during the day across the equatorial regions.