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Mercury

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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
      1. Oxygen
      : 42%
      1. Sodium
      : 29%
      1. Hydrogen
      : 22%
      1. Helium
      : 6%
      1. Potassium
      : 0.5%
      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)

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