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Mercury is one of four terrestrial planets in the Solar System, which means it is a rocky body like Earth. It is the smallest planet in the Solar System, with an equatorial radius of 2,439.7 kilometres (1,516.0 mi). Mercury is also smaller—albeit more massive—than the largest natural satellites in the Solar System, Ganymede and Titan.
Mercury is the only metal for which the alchemical planetary name survives, as it was decided it was preferable to "quicksilver" as a chemical name. History. Mercury was found in Egyptian tombs that date from 1500 BC; cinnabar, the most common natural source of mercury, has been in use since the Neolithic Age.
Learn about Mercury, the smallest and fastest planet in our solar system, with NASA's overview, stories, images and more. Find out how Mercury's surface, orbit, atmosphere and history inspire science fiction and exploration.
Jun 3, 2024 · Mercury, the innermost planet of the solar system and the eighth in size and mass. Its closeness to the Sun and its smallness make it the most elusive of the planets visible to the unaided eye. Because its rising or setting is always within about two hours of the Sun’s, it is never observable when the sky is fully dark.
- Clark R. Chapman
- Mercury has a radius of about 2,440 km, and its surface area is 74,797,000 km2. Its mass is 3.30 × 1023 kg. Mercury is the smallest major planet in...
- Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system, and it is also the planet closest to the Sun, making it the most difficult of the planets to se...
- Mercury's average orbital distance from the Sun is 58 million km (36 million miles) and it has the shortest year (a revolution period of 88 days)....
- Two locations on Mercury’s equator are called hot poles, and surface temperatures there can exceed 700 kelvins (K; 800 °F, 430 °C). Surface tempera...
- Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter, and Titan, a moon of Saturn, are both larger than Mercury, the smallest major planet.
Learn about Mercury, the smallest and fastest planet in our solar system, and its extreme temperatures, surface features, and magnetic field. Find out why Mercury is named after the Roman god of speed and why it has no moons or rings.
Learn about Mercury, the smallest and fastest planet in our solar system. Find out how it looks, how it spins, and what it is made of.
Oct 19, 2018 · Learn about the smallest and fastest planet in our solar system, its origin, surface, and missions. Find out how Mercury's orbit, rotation, and temperature create unique features and phenomena.
