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Mercury
Mercury as seen from MESSENGER spacecraft
Mercury as seen from MESSENGER spacecraft
Diameter 4,880 km
3,032 mi.
Distance from the Sun 58 million km
36 million mi.
Astronomical Unit 0.39 AU
Mass 0.055 M⊕
Density 5.43 g/cm³
Temperature 430°C
Number of moons 0
Length of day 58 days
Length of year 88 days
Atmosphere Components Molecular oxygen

Sodium
Hydrogen
Helium
Potassium

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and it is the smallest planet in the Solar System. Mercury has no atmosphere, because of the surface temperatures are about 430°C (806°F).[1]

Mercury is not much bigger than our Moon, it is about four times of the size of Earth.

Messenger of the Gods[]

Mercury was the Roman messenger god. Mercury is the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Hermes, and was not a signficant part of the Roman religion it was reconciled with the Greek myths.

As the Romans expanded their territory, they began to interperet the mythology of other religions as being identical to their own. The popular gods Lugus, among the Celtic tribes, and Odin (or Wotan) among the Germanic peoples, were both identified as Mercury. Julius Caesar wrote that the German peoples, as well as the Celts of Britain and Gaul, most worship Mercury.

The planet Mercury and the element mercury (Hg) are both named after the Roman god.

Surface[]

Mercury's surface is overall very similar in appearance to that of the Moon, showing extensive mare-like plains and heavy cratering, indicating that it has been geologically inactive for billions of years.

Caloris1

Mosaic of the Caloris basin based on photographs by the MESSENGER orbiter.

Mercury surface 1

An unexplained patch of black on Mercury.

The surface of Mercury has numerous interesting features, including a variety of craters, ridges, and terrains ranging from heavily cratered to nearly crater free. These features, and their location across the known planet surface, helps us to understand the evolution of the planet. Craters on Mercury are named mainly after artists, while plains have generally been named after mythological and religious figures. Several features are named after famous astonomers and observatories. Several different types of craters can be seen, including young craters in otherwise smooth terrain, new craters on top of old craters, craters with peaks in the center, and craters with lines or "rays" of bright material pointing out from the central crater.

References[]

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