<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

For other uses see Mercury (disambiguation)

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. The first detailed photographs on the planet were taken on March 29, 1974, by the U.S. probe Mariner 10. Mercury has a diameter of of 3,032 miles (4,879 KM) about two-fifths of Earth's diameter. It's size and proximity to the sun, makes it difficult to see from Earth without a telescope.Mercury moves quickly around the sun, faster than any other planet in the system, making a full orbit once every 88 Earth days. It rotates once about every 59 Earth days.

Mercury's surface resembles the moon, covered in craters, plains and cliffs. Its cratered surface is, in part, due to its minimal atmosphere which, allows meteoroids to impact the surface without any atmospheric resistance. The planet is also covered by a thin layer of minerals called silicates in the form of tiny particles.

surface temperatures on Mercury may reach 840 degrees F (450 degrees C) during the day and at night as low as -275 degrees F (-170 degrees C).

External Links

• Mercury at NASA