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• Mercury is closest planet to the Sun, and it is the smallest planet in the Solar System. Its proximity to the Sun gives the planet a huge range of temperatures. Because of its small size, cratered surface, and lack of a significant atmosphere, Mercury is often compared to Earth's Moon.Scientific Paper: Mercury: Magnetic Field and Magnetosphere

• Fast Facts

  1. Smallest planet in the Solar System
  2. Discovered in ancient times
  3. Named after the Roman god of commerce
  4. Radius: 2,440 kilometers (46% of Earth's)
  5. Circumference: 15,329 kilometers
  6. Surface area: 74.8 million square kilometers (11% of Earth's)
  7. Mass: 3.30x10²³ kilograms
  8. Average distance from the Sun: 57.9 million kilometers
  9. No moons in its orbit
  10. Temperature ranges between -173 and 427 degrees Celcius (-279 and 801 degrees FahrenheitNASA: Mercury - Facts & Figures
  11. Atmosphere is extremely thin
  12. 1. Oxygen
      : 42%
  13. 1. Sodium
      : 29%
  14. 1. Hydrogen
      : 22%
  15. 1. Helium
      : 6%
  16. 1. Potassium
      : 0.5%
  17. 1. Trace amounts of Argon, Carbon Dioxide, Water, Nitrogen, Xenon, Krypton, NeonNASA: Mercury Fact Sheet

• Quotes

  "Scientists say the pictures reveal that the planet once had active volcanoes, and that Mercury is shrinking as it ages, leaving ridges reminiscent of wrinkles - strange features that may be a product of the planet's shrinking, cooling core."Popular Science: "The Incredible Shrinking Planet" (January 31, 2008)

  "The spacecraft also discovered a unique feature that scientists dubbed "The Spider." This formation never has been seen on Mercury before and nothing like it has been observed on the moon." NASA: NASA Spacecraft Streams Back Surprises From Mercury (January 30, 2008)

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Earth | NASA | Solar System | Mercury Spider

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