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How does the greenhouse effect make Venus so hot?

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Venus
Venus Venus photographed in ultraviolet light by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter (Pioneer 12) spacecraft, February 26, 1979. Although Venus's cloud cover is nearly featureless in visible light, ultraviolet imaging reveals distinctive structure and pattern, including global-scale V-shaped bands that open toward the west (left). Added color in the image emulates Venus's yellow-white appearance to the eye.

Venus experiences an extreme greenhouse effect due to its massive, dense atmosphere, which is composed of more than 96 percent carbon dioxide.1

While Venus’s thick cloud cover actually reflects a significant portion of incoming sunlight, the light that does penetrate the atmosphere is absorbed by the surface and the lower atmosphere. This absorbed energy is then reradiated as [infrared radiation]. On Earth, much of this infrared energy escapes back into space, but on Venus, the dense carbon dioxide and thick cloud layers trap the radiation.213

This trapped energy heats the lower atmosphere and surface, resulting in extreme temperatures reaching approximately 482 °C (900 °F). This process demonstrates how greenhouse gases can dramatically influence a planet's energy balance and surface temperature.21