Mercury facts Mercury has been visited by two spacecraft – Mariner 10 and MESSENGER. With a diameter of about 3,032 miles (4,880 kilometers), Mercury is less than half the size of Earth, which is Facts About Mercury: Mercury is the first and smallest planet in the solar system. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and is also the smallest of the eight planets in our solar system. Learn more about the planet closest to the sun with these 10 interesting facts. See full list on thefactfile. 8 km/sec (29. [2] [12]Mercury is bright when we can see it from Earth. For example, it’s possible that Mercury was once larger until a giant impact — or just the bright young Sun’s radiation — threw off the planet’s outer layers and left behind mostly core. Atomic number (Z): 80: Group: group 12: Period: period 6: Block d-block Electron configuration [] 4f 14 5d 10 6sElectrons per shell: 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 2: Physical The BepiColombo mission to Mercury blasts off from Kourou in French Guiana on October 20, 2018. The diameter of Planet Mercury is 4,878 km (3,031 miles). 69 Apparent diameter (seconds of arc) 11. 0 Minimum (seconds of arc) 4. Find out its history, features, orbit, surface, and more. From musician-named craters to its long cometary tail, we are just scratching the surface of the planet Mercury. 43 Mean values at inferior conjunction with Earth Distance from Earth (10 6 km) 91. For every 2 orbits of the Sun, which takes around 88 Earth days, Mercury completes three rotations of its axis. Jan 17, 2025 · Mercury formed about 4. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. 969 days. Mission to Mercury. Mariner 10 was an American robotic space probe launched by NASA on 3 November 1973, to fly by the planets Mercury and Venus. Mariner 10 was the first spacecraft to visit Mercury in 1974 and 1975, and it mapped about 45% of the surface. . The first visit to Mercury […] Planet Mercury Facts. Learn about Mercury, the smallest and closest planet to the Sun, with no moons or rings. Human Exploration of Mercury Mercury has some scientific missions, such as Mariner 10, MESSENGER, and BepiColombo. DeMaio and friends as they learn everything there is to know about th Introduction. Aug 9, 2018 · Mercury is the smallest, hottest, and the fastest planet in the solar system. Not only is Mercury the closest planet to the sun, but it has extremely hot and cold temperatures. 8. 5 billion years ago when gravity pulled swirling gas and dust together to form this small planet nearest the Sun. During the course of its orbit, the planet can get as close as 29 million miles to the Sun, and at its farthest it can be 43 million miles from the Sun. Mercury Facts. Sep 25, 2019 · Mercury Facts The planet closest to the Sun, Mercury is the smallest and fastest planet in the solar system -- whipping around the Sun every 88 Earth days. Solving the mystery of Mercury’s gigantic core would also help shape our understanding of the wider history of the Solar System. Jan 20, 2025 · Since Mercury is a terrestrial planet, it’s mainly composed of iron, nickel, and silicate rock. 3. In English, it is named after the ancient Roman god Mercurius (Mercury), god of commerce and communication, and the messenger of the gods. It has a large iron core, which is about 61% of the planet’s volume (in comparison, the Earth’s core is only 16%), and a 400-kilometer (250 miles) thick outer shell. 3 Maximum (10 6 km) 221. Learn more about the sun's closest neighbor with our random Mercury facts. 1. It orbits the sun once every 7 days. It is the closest planet to the Sun. Discover its surface, composition, magnetic field, temperature, and role in mythology and culture. Jun 9, 2023 · Mercury was also given separate names for its appearance as both a morning star and an evening star. 5. Find out the reason behind its incredible sp A funny, fact filled, science lesson on the closest planet to the Sun, Mercury!Join Mr. https://patreon. Find out about its craters, core, temperature, rotation, orbit, and more. Find out how it looks, how it spins, what it is made of, and why it is so extreme. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest since Pluto was downgraded to a dwarf planet. [8] [9] [10] It is the closest planet to the sun. Oct 17, 2024 · Learn about Mercury, the smallest and fastest planet in our solar system, and its unique features, history, and challenges. ©ESA-CNES-Arianespace. The next of our interesting Mercury facts tells us about just how fast its orbit is. 0 Dec 11, 2016 · Mercury Orbits the Sun Faster than Any Other Planet. Mercury is the smallest planet in the Solar System. The planet Mercury is named after the messenger of the Roman gods because of its fleeting nature across the sky. Jan 14, 2025 · Learn about Mercury, the smallest and fastest planet in our solar system. At a distance of only about 1/3 of Earth’s distance to Sun, Mercury is the first planet in our Solar System. Mar 26, 2020 · Cool Mercury Facts. Jan 11, 2024 · Mercury Observational Parameters Discoverer: Unknown Discovery Date: Prehistoric Distance from Earth Minimum (10 6 km) 77. Jan 20, 2025 · Learn about Mercury, the smallest and fastest planet in the solar system, from Britannica. Mercury has no atmosphere and no known satellites, perhaps because of its proximity to the Sun. Jul 7, 2022 · Mercury is a rather weird planet that constantly intrigues scientists. Greek astronomers knew, however, that the two names referred to the same body, and Heraclitus Nov 24, 2019 · 10 Interesting Facts About Mercury Mercury. 7 miles/sec). Mercury is classified as a terrestrial planet, with roughly the same surface gravity as Mars. org Mercury is the first planet from the Sun and the smallest in the Solar System. It has no satellite. 5 Maximum visual magnitude -2. 4. From the surface of Mercury, the Sun would appear more than three times as large as it does when viewed from Earth, and the sunlight would be as much as seven times brighter. Mercury Facts for Kids The planet closest to the Sun, Mercury is the smallest and fastest planet in the solar system -- whipping around the Sun every 88 Earth days. 2. [11]It makes one trip around the Sun once every 87. Get the facts on Mercury, the closest planet to the sun. Like its fellow terrestrial planets, Mercury has a central core, a rocky mantle, and a solid crust. com/freeschool - Help support more content like this!The closest planet to the sun, Mercury is also the smallest planet in the solar system! Jul 7, 2022 · Mercury is a rather weird planet that constantly intrigues scientists. Mercury is the second densest planet, after Earth. 9 Apparent diameter from Earth Maximum (seconds of arc) 13. The smallest planet in our solar system and nearest to the Sun, Mercury is only slightly larger than Earth's Moon. May 15, 2022 · Mercury is the closest planet to the sun and the smallest planet in our solar system. The orbital speed of Mercury is 47. It is the smallest and closest planet to the Sun in the Solar System. ufe wofpyx jseuv kaqkyf xtyahr toh hzpobn ccv dbq onbc

Mercury facts. See full list on thefactfile.