SOLAR SYSTEM

Mercury
Compared to the other planets, we know
relatively little about the smallest
planet in our Solar System

A
lthough we’ve been observing Mercury from
Earth for thousands of years, its close proximity to
the Sun – about 58 million kilometres, on average
– has made it difficult for astronomers to learn much
about the planet. The Hubble Space Telescope cannot
observe it, because turning that close towards the
Sun would damage the telescope’s instruments.
Most of what we know came from the 1975
Mariner 10 space probe’s fly-by.
With the naked eye, Mercury can only be
seen at dawn or dusk, depending on the time
of year (unless there is a solar eclipse). This
is due to the Sun’s glare. Mercury can also
be seen as a small black spot moving
across the Sun at intervals of seven, 13 Surface
and 33 years. This is known as a transit Mercury’s surface is
of Mercury across the Sun and occurs covered in tiny minerals
when the planet comes between the called silicates
Earth and the Sun.
Mercury has the shortest year
of any planet at 88 Earth days. It
also orbits around the Sun faster
than any other planet, which is
Outer core
why it was named after the speedy It’s hypothesised that
Roman messenger god. Conversely, Mercury has a liquid
Mercury has the longest day of any iron outer core
planet due to its slow rotation.
Because it revolves so quickly
around the Sun, yet only rotates on
its axis once every 59 Earth days,
the time between sunrises on
Mercury lasts 176 Earth days. Mercury
also has the most eccentric, or
stretched-out, elliptical orbit. Like our
moon, Mercury can be observed going
through apparent changes in its shape
and size called phases.

Atmosphere Inside
Mercury has a very thin, almost airless atmosphere.
At one time it was believed that the planet didn’t have
an atmosphere at all, but it does contain small
Mercury
A cross-section of
concentrations of the gases helium, hydrogen and oxygen
as well as calcium, potassium and sodium. Because of the smallest planet in
Mercury’s size, it does not have a strong enough gravitational pull
to keep a stable atmosphere. It is constantly being lost and
our Solar System
replenished via solar wind, impacts and radioactive decay of
elements in the crust.

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