Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. Mercury takes it’s name from the Roman messenger of the Gods. Rarity. On Mercury, one year consists of 88 days. It is the smallest and closest planet to the Sun in the Solar System. A year in Mercury is 88 days, yet a Mercury day is 176 Earth days. Mercury is an interesting planet with very peculiar characteristics. [1] Mercury cannot be seen by the naked eye when the sky is fully dark. The 10 Coldest Cities In The United States. On Planet Earth, one year is equivalent to 365 days. Despite its proximity to Earth, Mercury is among the least explored planets due to its proximity to the Sun. Over the years, scientists have uncovered some interesting facts about Mercury and they include: 1. The concentration of sulfur on Mercury is unlike any other planet in the Solar System. Let’s find out some interesting facts about Mercury and its unique features: GIF: skymarvels.com. Amazing facts about Mercury. Thirteen times a century Mercury can be observed from the Earth passing across the face of the Sun in an event called a transit, the next will occur on the 9th May 2016. 10 Interesting Facts About Mercury. In Roman times Mercury was a very busy god of commerce, wealth, eloquence, messages, travelers, luck, trickery and thieves, whose other responsibilities included conveying the dead to the underworld. Mercury has a very high surface tension, so it forms rounded beads of liquid. Its core has domination of 85% in its whole diameter. Mercury and the Sun are nearly in a tidal lock, which has slowed the planet's rotation. Nevertheless, researchers do not expect life to exist on the planet due to its unconducive environment. Did you know: Coolest facts about Mercury. The side of Mercury that faces the Sun experiences temperatures of approximately 427 °C, while the alternate side can be as cold as -173 °C. Although the earth is small, Mercury is extremely dense. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2020 worldatlas.com, Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest since, Mercury and Venus are the only two planets in the Solar System, Mercury may be the closest planet to the Sun, but it is, Mercury Has Organic Material and Water Ice, It is challenging to travel between Earth and Mercury not only because the closest distance between the two planets is over 48 million mi, but also due to the immense temperature from the Sun. 10 Interesting Facts About The Planet Mercury. The Naming of Mercury If you’ve been following our journey through the solar system, you have likely picked up on a common trend when it comes to naming the planets. A day on the surface of Mercury lasts 176 Earth days. "While a typical vibrato will fluctuate between 5.4 Hz and 6.9 Hz, Mercury… It's time to learn 10 interesting facts about Mercury that we think you don't know. Mercury is the smallest planet. If you were to look up at the sky on Mercury, the Sun would appear to be twice the size then here on Earth. Share . It is unable to retain heat, which is why the dark side of the planet is frigid. Facts about Mercury: Mercury may be the closest planet to the sun but it experiences temperature changes that are the most extreme of any planet in the solar system, including dropping to -275 F/-170 C. Mercury is only slightly larger than the Earth’s moon. Compared to Earth, it is 1/3 in diameter and the mass of Mercury is only 5.5 per cent the mass of Earth. In 2018, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the joint. It travels about 112,000 mph (180,000 km/h) along its elliptical orbit. 50 interesting facts about Mercury. Researchers believe that the core is made up of lighter materials that have lower melting points, such as sulfur. Mercury and Venus are the only two planets in the Solar System without either a moon or ring. Mercury is only the second hottest planet.Despite being further from the Sun, Venus experiences higher temperatures. It is named after the … Interesting Facts About Mercury. As such, it circles the sun faster than all the other planets, which is why Romans named it after their swift-footed messenger God. Until NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft made its first flyby of Mercury in 2008, NASA only had close up pictures of one half of Mercury's surface. Mercury is nearly tidally locked to the Sun – also known as a gravitational lock – and over time this has slowed the rotation of the planet to almost match its orbit around the Sun. Venus has an average temperature of 427 °C, as its dense atmosphere circulates heat evenly throughout the planet. Astronomers had observed that for a long time that mercury’s elliptical path around the sun shifts (precess) a little bit whenever it passes through the sun’s perihelion (closest point to the sun). For every two orbits of the Sun, Mercury completes three rotations about its axis and up until 1965 it was thought that the same side of Mercury constantly faced the Sun. A year on Mercury is … Print . It only appears at dusk and dawn. 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. Last but not least one in my list of top 6 interesting facts about mercury is the perihelion precession of mercury. Among the many facts they concluded was that Mercury's vocal cords moved faster than the average person's. One of the most interesting facts about the element mercury is that it is even used in sphygmomanometer to measure blood pressure. Mercury is the smallest planet in the Solar System. More Interesting Facts about Mercury. Abstract: In our solar system of planets the 5 closets planets to the Sun are made largely of rocky material. Here are 15 interesting facts about planet Mercury. Tweet. Even some gas giant moons are larger than it, such as Titan and Ganymede. Your weight on Mercury would be 38% of your weight on Earth. As the planet Mercury has never fully been mapped out, and is hard to observe with telescopes, just what facts do we know about the planet? Element Name: Mercury; Element Symbol: Hg Until NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft arrived there in … 2. Mercury travels around the sun at a speed of 180,000 kilometers per hour or 112,000 miles per hour. This is the first of the 10 amazing and interesting facts about Mercury. The only other liquid element under standard conditions is bromine (a halogen ), although the metals rubidium, cesium, and gallium melt at a temperature just above room temperature. But, interesting facts about Mercury are the difference between one sunrise and one sunset is 176 days, i.e. Interesting facts Mercury For kids: The Naming of Mercury. Interesting Facts About Mercury: 21-25 21. While other planets "self-heal" after collisions with comets and asteroids, Mercury does not, which has led to numerous craters on the planet's surface. His speed is why Mercury got its name, as it is the fastest planet that orbits the sun. Mercury is a shiny, silvery liquid metal, sometimes called quicksilver. Mercury plays peekaboo with the Sun, as the planet rises and sets close to when the Sun does, which can make it challenging to see it in the sky. It is also one of five planets visible by the naked eye, along with Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, and Venus. Surprisingly, given its proximity to the hot Sun, Mercury contains water ice. Mercury can also get as low as -270 degrees at its night. With so many duties and … In Greek mythology, Mercury — the messenger of the Roman gods — was called Hermes. It is challenging to travel between Earth and Mercury not only because the closest distance between the two planets is over 48 million mi, but also due to the immense temperature from the Sun. Mercury is a core dominated planet. Every cubic centimeter incorporates a density of 5.4 grams, with only the world having a higher density. When Mercury orbits the Sun, it does it in more of an ellipse (oval) shape, rather than a sphere. mission that is expected to reach the orbit of Mercury in December 2025. It is found in craters near its poles, where sunlight never reaches. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest since Pluto was downgraded to a dwarf planet. It is a transition metal with atomic number 80 on the periodic table, an atomic weight of 200.59, and the element symbol Hg. There is water ice on Mercury. This figure was renowned for his swift movement and winged shoes. The innermost planet in our solar system, Mercury, is also the smallest planet in the system. Share. Its occurrence in earth’s crust is 0.08 parts per million or 85 parts per billion. Mercury revolves around the Sun at 112,000 mph, which is the fastest of all planets. Facts about Mercury. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest since Pluto was downgraded to a dwarf planet. Mercury zips around the sun faster than any other planet. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and due to its proximity it is not easily seen except during twilight. 5. Born in Africa. Mercury has been known to humanity since ancient times and although its discovery date is unknown, the first mentions of the planet are believed to be around 3000 BC by the Sumerians. Just to put a scale on how small Mercury is, you could fit more than 24,400 Mercury’s inside one Jupiter, the biggest planet in the solar system. Current astronomers believe that the darker skies of the past made it possible for ancient astronomers to see Mercury. Mercury is the closest planet to the sun as well as the smallest planet in our solar system, in terms of both mass and volume. The temperature difference on the surface of Mercury reaches 600 K depending on the time of day. This means that it has some unique features. By Victor Kiprop on November 24 2019 in Environment. Ironically, the planet's existence was documented by ancient astronomers before the discovery of Venus and Mars. However, it also holds the distinction of being the planet that has the ability to travel the fastest around the sun, too. The smallest of these is Mercury, and it also happens to be the planet in closest orbit to the sun. This makes Mercury the fastest planet in … The cores of smaller planets cool and solidify rapidly, but extensive research concludes that this is not the case for Mercury. Top 10 interesting facts about mercury Mercury is the most cratered planet Looks life mercury likes to pick up fights with asteroids and meteors from time to time. However, this ice is located within permanently shadowed craters that do not receive sunlight throughout the year. 1. In 2018, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the joint BepiColombomission that is expected to reach the orbit of Mercury in December 2025. [1] The Ultimate List of TV Shows set in Space or on Other Planets, The Planets and Moons of Star Wars to Scale. Moons offer a better understanding of the formation of planets, and the lack of a moon leaves certain questions unanswered. 2. Mercury. Mercury is so close to the sun, it is hard to directly observe it from Earth except during dawn or twilight. Facts About Moon Click Here Mercury has wrinkles. Close by the Sun is Mercury, a practically atmosphere-like world that has a lot of craters. … Mercury has a light atmosphere that allows heat to escape, unlike Venus, which has a dense atmosphere that traps the heat. 1: Associated With All Things Fast. Research shows that the concentration of magnesium, sodium, and calcium in Mercury’s atmosphere fluctuates depending on its distance from the Sun. Only two probes have reached Mercury: NASA's Mariner 10in 1974-75 and NASA's MESSENGER in 2004. Being so close to the Sun, the daytime temperature on Mercury is scorching – reaching over 400 °C (752 °F). Here are some fast facts plus 10 interesting element facts about mercury. A year on Mercury takes 88 Earth days. Earlier, Pluto held the record for being the smallest planet in the Solar System. Half of Mercury had never been seen. It takes Mercury 176 Earth days to complete a rotation around its axis and 88 days to complete a revolution around the Sun, meaning that a day is longer than its year. 1. Jamie Ward | 2 mins read | 0 comments. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and due to its proximity it is not easily seen except during twilight. Here are 35 impressive facts about the planet Mercury: Fact 1. When Mercury was 17, the Bulsara family was forced to flee for England when the Zanzibar Revolution tore the region apart and resulted in the deaths of many people of Arabic and Indian background. Mercury’s orbit around the sun is the fastest orbit of all the solar system planets. This is mostly owing to Mercury being composed mainly of heavy metals and rock. This is one of the coolest facts about Mercury. It is also one of five planets visible by the naked eye, along with Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, and Venus. Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. Save. Mercury orbits the sun in 88 days, which means 1 … Posted on July 18, 2017 January 5, 2018 by Annie Perdomo. These first pictures were captured by NASA's Mariner 10 spacecraft, which made a series of three flybys in 1974-75. Most are small craters, while a few are more than 50 mi wide. The next of our interesting Mercury facts tells us about just how fast its orbit is. Mercury does not have any moons or rings. Mercury: the Smallest Planet! Additionally, Mercury has the greatest orbital eccentricity, ranging from 29 million mi to 43 million mi. It’s not known who discovered Mercury. However, after the ouster of Pluto from the category … Fast Facts: The Element Mercury. The planet gets as close as 29 million miles (47 million km) to … But, there was no exact explanation accounting for that shift. The nearest neighbor of Sun, Mercury has some peculiar characteristics that make it quite different from other planets in the Solar System. Mercury is the closest planet to our Sun and is the smallest planet in our solar system. The orbital speed of Mercury is 47.8 km/sec (29.7 miles/sec). Mercury is the second hottest planet in the solar system, reaching up to 800 degrees. Here’s some cool and fun facts about the planet Mercury. Only two probes have reached Mercury: NASA's, in 2004. Mercury has a fragile atmosphere known as an exosphere. Mercury may be the closest planet to the Sun, but it is not as hot as Venus. Even though it the element has various applications, it is still one of the rarest elements in the world. The largest crater is the Caloris Basin, which has a diameter of 963 mi. half-day is equal to one year in Mercury. It Is the Smallest In the Solar System . Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara in 1946 to Parsi parents in what is now the city of Zanzibar in Tanzania, back when it was still a British territory. Image Source:- sciencemag. Recent studies show that Mercury indeed has a molten core, which is contrary to the solid iron core theory proposed throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries. In Greek mythology, this messenger is known as Hermes. 2. Organic materials, which are the building blocks of life, have also been discovered, but the harsh conditions on Mercury cannot support life as it exists on Earth. Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are known as the four inner planets of the Solar System, but there is … 1. Mercury is the smallest planet of the Solar System. … Wow! It’s the first planet that’s located close to our Sun. INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT PLANET MERCURY. Its orbit is immensely elliptical, as its distance from the Sun varies between 29 million mi and 43 million mi. 2. Astronomers believe that in the past, both planets had moons, but that the Sun’s immense gravity pulled them away. 2. Freddie Mercury Facts 42. Research shows that a 100 km wide asteroid hit mercury 4 billion years ago that created a 1545 km giant crater on it. Mercury is the only metal that is a liquid at standard temperature and pressure. Although there is no conclusive evidence regarding why this occurs, astronomers link it to solar radiation pressure. 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