The Planet Mercury is the closest planet to our Sun at an average distance of 58 million km’s. It is composed mainly of iron and because of its density of iron most likely has a solid iron core. Mercury has the widest ranges of temperatures on the surface ranging between 430 degrees Celsius during the day and -180 degrees at night. There is literally no shielding atmosphere on the planet keeping any gases produced from escaping.
Mercury has a solar orbit (a year) of a period of 88 days and has a diameter of 4,875 km’s wide. It has a rotation period of 59 Earth days. Because of its slow orbit and vertical rotation some parts and craters near the polar regions of the planet never see sunlight. This also means that Mercury has no seasons.
The planet Mercury has no moons and the evidence of its large surface craters tells us that it has been bombarded by many meteorites and asteroids in the past. During the last billion years Mercury’s volcanic eruptions and lava flow have ceased making it a tectonically inactive planet.
NASA’s Mariner 10 is the only spacecraft to visit Mercury mapping only one side of the planet and sending images and television pictures back to Earth in the year 1974. NASA’s Messenger spacecraft is currently carrying out a fly-by and will be sending more images and information back to Earth in September this year.
Mercury has a solar orbit (a year) of a period of 88 days and has a diameter of 4,875 km’s wide. It has a rotation period of 59 Earth days. Because of its slow orbit and vertical rotation some parts and craters near the polar regions of the planet never see sunlight. This also means that Mercury has no seasons.
The planet Mercury has no moons and the evidence of its large surface craters tells us that it has been bombarded by many meteorites and asteroids in the past. During the last billion years Mercury’s volcanic eruptions and lava flow have ceased making it a tectonically inactive planet.
NASA’s Mariner 10 is the only spacecraft to visit Mercury mapping only one side of the planet and sending images and television pictures back to Earth in the year 1974. NASA’s Messenger spacecraft is currently carrying out a fly-by and will be sending more images and information back to Earth in September this year.
