PLANET

MERCURY

Group 1 – Presentation
 Historical
Background of the
PLANET
MERCURY

Group 1 – Presentation
Is planet Mercury
your favorite
planet?

Group 1 – Presentation
Mercury is One of the planets
in the solar system that has a
rich background

Group 1 – Presentation
 Assyrian and
Mul.Apin tablets
Babylonian God
Nabu
Greek God Hermes Roman God Mercury
Galileo Galilei Thomas Harriot Giovanni Zupi
The Morning star and Evening star
10 FACTS NEED TO
KNOW ABOUT
PLANET
MERCURY

Group 1 – Presentation
Planet Mercury have a
radius of 2439.7 km
which is become the
smallest planet in our
solar system.

 Planet Mercury have a

diameter of about
3,032 miles (4,880
kilometers), Mercury is
less than half the size
of earth.
Mercury is the smallest of eight planets in our solar
system. It completes its orbit around the sun in 87.97
days which makes it the fastest orbiting planet. Since it
is the fastest planet, its name was placed on Roman God
of Commerce, travel and thievery. With a diameter of
4,879.4 km, Mercury is almost the size of the
continental United States and about 40% larger than our
Moon. So far only two spacecraft have visited the
Mercury from Earth, Mariner 10 in 1973 and
MESSENGER in 2004.
Mercury’s Surface:
- Color: greyish-brown, bright streaks “crater
rays”
- Rocky planet
- Solid, cratered surface
- 414 named Mercurian craters (as of 2021)

Three major geological processes that

affect the surface of Mercury:
1. Impact Cratering – an asteroid or comet
strikes the surface.
2. Volcanism – eruption of molten rock
(magma) onto the surface
of the planet.
3. Tectonism – deformation of the crust,
craters, and features on
Mercury are named after famous artists,
musicians, and authors.
 Why planet Mercury has no moons?
Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. It wouldn’t
be able to hold on it’s own moon. It is too close to the
sun to retain a moon.

There are basically 3 factors that influence the

numbers of
moons each planet has, and these are the
following:
1.) The size (mass) of the planet – ability to
capture objects
2.) Collision – is just like our Moon formed
3.) Co-formation – formed at the same time as
the planet
without just the right size, collisions, and co-
formation, a
planet almost certainly won’t capture and
retain a moon.
- Temperatures on Mercury are extreme. During
the
day, temperatures on the surface can reach 800
degrees Fahrenheit (430 degrees Celsius).

- Night time temperatures on the surface can

drop
to minus 290 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 180
degrees
Celsius).

- No evidence for life has been found on

Mercury.

Two spacecraft have visited the planet Mercury
so far. The first was called Mariner 10. During
1974 and 1975, Mariner 10 flew by Mercury
three times and mapped about half of the
planet’s surface. Mariner 10 also discovered
Mercury’s thin atmosphere and detected its
magnetic field.
- The mariner 10 mission elapsed time was
1yr and 2months, 9days, 6hrs, and 36mins.
From November 3, 1973 to March 24, 1975.
- Messenger went into orbit around Mercury
in 2011, and completed mapping of 100% of
Mercury’s surface in 2013.
- BepiColombo is planned for launch in 2015
and planned to enter orbit around Mercury in
2022.
 THE
GENERALIZATION
What can you say
about the Planet
Mercury?
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING