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Mercury is the first planet from the Sun and the smallest in the Solar System. In English, it is named after the ancient Roman god Mercurius , god of commerce and communication, and the messenger of the gods. Mercury is classified as a terrestrial planet, with roughly the same surface gravity as Mars.
Learn about Mercury, the smallest and fastest planet in our solar system, and its surface, atmosphere, moons and more. Explore images, stories and pop culture inspired by the planet closest to the Sun.
- A year on Mercury is just 88 days long. One solar day (the time from noon to noon on the planet’s surface) on Mercury lasts the equivalent of 176 Earth days while the sidereal day (the time for 1 rotation in relation to a fixed point) lasts59 Earth days.
- Mercury is the smallest planet in the Solar System. One of five planets visible with the naked eye a, Mercury is just 4,879 Kilometres across its equator, compared with 12,742 Kilometres for the Earth.
- Mercury is the second densest planet. Even though the planet is small, Mercury is very dense. Each cubic centimetre has a density of 5.4 grams, with only the Earth having a higher density.
- Mercury has wrinkles. As the iron core of the planet cooled and contracted, the surface of the planet became wrinkled. Scientist have named these wrinkles, Lobate Scarps.
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
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.
Oct 19, 2018 · Living up to its name, Mercury is the fastest planet in the solar system, speeding along at about 29 miles per second and completing each orbit around the sun in just 88 Earth days.
Learn about Mercury, the smallest and fastest planet in our solar system. Find out how it looks, how it spins, what it is made of, and how we have explored it.
