The planet Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun within the solar system. Mercury was named by the Romans after their god of the same name. Due to its small angular separation from the Sun, which it orbits every 88 days, Mercury is not easily seen from Earth.
At this time, little is known about this comparatively small planet. The only spacecraft to come close to Mercury was Mariner 10 from 1974 to 1975, which was only able to map 40%–45% of the planet's surface.
From the photographs and other information that has been collected, it has been determined that the surface of Mercury is very similar to our own moon, heavily cratered and barren. The magnetic force generated by Mercury’s iron core is only about 1% as strong as that of Earth’s. Temperatures on Mercury can range anywhere from 90 to 700 degrees K!
Discover more about the planet Mercury! Begin by simply clicking on any image gallery, top news article or other interactive features below.
1 comment:
Useful informations for students and children.
Post more about other planets also.
Post a Comment