The fastest runner in the solar system Main characteristics of Mercury We will cover many topics, starting with the interesting surface structures, the mysteries of the thin atmosphere and the latest discoveries of scientists.

In that case our space travel let it begin!

Characteristics of planet Mercury

• Mercury takes its name from the messenger god of Roman mythology.
• When was Mercury first observed?
• The closest planet to the sun.
• It is about one-third the diameter of the Earth.
• With its rotation around the sun, it completes a year in just 88 Earth days.
• The history of modern observation of Mercury took on a new dimension with the beginning of space exploration in the 20th century.
• The surface of Mercury is covered with numerous craters, similar to the surface of the moon.
• The internal structure of Mercury is notable for its large iron core.
• It has the thinnest atmosphere of any planet in the solar system.
• Frozen water was discovered.
• Streams of particles that land on the surface as comets have also been discovered.
• With Mercury, Einstein’s theory of general relativity was confirmed.
• Other information about Mercury:

Mercury takes its name from the messenger god of Roman mythology.

This name refers to its rapid movement around the sun. According to Universe Today, the Sumerians were already talking about Mercury 2000 years before Christ. Like the Babylonians Mercury was called Nabu They had given it. The reason they gave this name is messenger gods of the Romans It is known to be so.

When was Mercury first observed?

According to NASA, Mercury was first discovered by astronomers in 1631. Galileo Galilei and Thomas Harriot It was observed with the telescope invented by.

The closest planet to the sun.

smallest planet in the solar system Although Mercury has properties that make it extremely interesting. Average distance to the sun about 58 million kilometers This makes it the second closest planet to the Sun after Earth. However, despite being so close to the Sun, it loses the title of hottest planet to Venus.

It is about one-third the diameter of the Earth.

diameter of mercury Its diameter is about 4,880 kilometers, making it slightly larger than the moon. Also Mercury, though small, dense metal core thanks to a heavier planet than expected. Mercury’s gravity It is about one-third the size of Earth. This means that the weight on it will be lighter than what is felt on Earth.

With its rotation around the sun, it completes a year in just 88 Earth days.

However, Mercury’s rotation on its own axis is 59 Earth days progress. This means that one day on Mercury is equivalent to almost two Mercury years. The strange timing also means that the temperature differences on the Earth’s surface are quite extreme.

While the side facing the sun can heat up to 430 °C The night side can cool down to -180°C. This fluctuation corresponds to a swing of about 600 °C, the largest of any planet in the solar system. Moreover, Mercury’s orbit is not only very fast, but also highly elliptical.

The history of modern observation of Mercury took on a new dimension with the beginning of space exploration in the 20th century.

In 1974 and 1975 Mariner 10 spacecraft, He sent the first close-up photographs of Mercury’s surface to Earth. This mission; the planet’s magnetic fieldstudied the thin atmosphere and crater surface in detail.

Like in 2011 NASA’s MESSENGER mission, It orbits Mercury and studies the planet’s geology, magnetic field and nature ice-covered polar craters I have mapped it out in more detail.

The surface of Mercury is covered with numerous craters, similar to the surface of the moon.

The craters are the result of several meteorite impacts that have affected the planet over a long period of time. The most noticeable surface feature is Caloris basin A giant crater called. This basin has a diameter of approximately 1,550 kilometers and is one of the largest impact craters in the world.

The internal structure of Mercury is notable for its large iron core.

The core of Mercury, It is estimated to make up about 75% of the planet’s mass. This large core is the reason Mercury has an unexpectedly strong magnetic field.

Thickness of the outer shell and only between 500 and 600 km. Scientists have no clear explanation for why the giant core contains more iron than other planets. They’re not sure why they have such a strange size.

It has the thinnest atmosphere of any planet in the solar system.

The atmosphere of Mercuryan extremely thin one from the “exosphere” is formed. This is a layer formed by the escape of light gas molecules from the surface of the planet into space. The main components of the exosphere are hydrogen, helium, oxygen, sodium and potassium It creates.

Frozen water was discovered.

As research into Mercury continues, the mysterious nature of the planet becomes increasingly clear. For example, MESSENGER mission During, frozen water was discovered in the shadowed parts of craters in the polar regions of the planet. This was a situation previously thought impossible due to the extreme temperatures, and which took scientists by surprise.

Streams of particles that land on the surface as comets have also been discovered.

Discovery about Mercury, It’s not just frozen water. It is thought that these discovered particle streams were created when the sodium in Mercury’s exosphere glowed due to the excitation of light from the Sun.

According to an article from NASA Science, sunlight can also free these molecules from Mercury’s surface and push them into space. Furthermore, these tails can be captured by astrophotographers on Earth. in photos with long exposure times can be caught.

With Mercury, Einstein’s theory of general relativity was confirmed.

Both the proximity of the Sun and its eccentric orbit relative to other planets, Einstein’s theory It helped. The theory is about how a star’s light changes as it orbits near another planet or star.

Scientists too Radar signals from Mercury reflective, actually partially confirmed this theory. The theory also says that the path of the signals might change slightly if the sun were there, compared to if it were not.

Other information about Mercury:

• It has no rings and moons due to its low gravity and lack of atmosphere.
• One of the 5 planets visible to the naked eye.
• It was believed that a planet called Vulcan existed between the orbits of Mercury and the Sun, but the existence of such a planet was never found.
• Mercury has no seasons.
• Life is not believed to exist or ever existed on Mercury due to its very thin atmosphere and temperature conditions.

These discoveries and interesting facts show that Mercury is only a More than just a rocky planet, showing that it occupies a unique place in the solar system. Future missions aim to delve even deeper into this small planet and learn more about the workings of our universe.

We have a lot to discover and learn about planets: