MERCURY

1. Mercury is the smallest and innermost planet in our solar system, located closest to the
Sun.
2. It is named after the Roman messenger god Mercury due to its swift orbit around the
Sun, completing a revolution in about 88 Earth days.
3. Mercury has a diameter of approximately 4,880 kilometers (3,032 miles), making it
slightly larger than Earth's Moon.
4. Due to its proximity to the Sun, Mercury experiences extreme temperature variations,
with surface temperatures reaching up to 427°C (800°F) on the day side and dropping to
-173°C (-280°F) on the night side.
5. The planet has a very thin atmosphere primarily composed of oxygen, sodium,
hydrogen, helium, and potassium, with no substantial atmosphere to retain heat,
contributing to its extreme temperature shifts.
6. Mercury has a heavily cratered surface, resembling the Moon, and is also marked by
expansive plains, ridges, cliffs, and impact basins.
7. It lacks natural satellites (moons) and has a weak magnetic field compared to Earth's
much stronger magnetosphere.
8. Mercury's orbit is eccentric (elliptical), causing it to experience significant gravitational
effects from the Sun, resulting in a phenomenon known as "resonant rotation," where it
rotates three times for every two orbits around the Sun, leading to days and nights of
varying lengths.
9. The planet has been visited by spacecraft such as Mariner 10 and MESSENGER (MErcury
Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging), providing valuable data and
images of its surface and environment.
10. Mercury's extreme conditions make it challenging for human exploration and
colonization, but studying this planet offers insights into planetary formation, evolution,
and the effects of proximity to a star like the Sun.