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for your convenience!
Classification
Using
the classification based on size, Mercury is one of the small planets.
Along with Pluto,
Mercury is sometimes also called a "lesser planet" because it is so small.
Lesser planets should not be confused with "minor planets" which is the
term used for asteroids. |
Where is It?
Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. The orbit, or path, it takes
around the sun is an ellipse, which is like an oval. For this reason,
the distance from Mercury to the Sun varies from about 43 million kilometers
at its closest, to about 66 million kilometers at its furthest. |
How Did It Get Its Name?
Mercury is named for the Roman god of commerce and thievery. It may
have received this name because of the way it quickly appears and
disappears from our view. |
How long are its years and
days?
Mercury races around the Sun faster than any other planet. A
Mercurial year (the time it takes for the planet to go once around the
Sun, is only 88 days, while our year on Earth is 365 days. Mercury does
not spin as fast as Earth, though, so a Mercurian day (the time it takes a
planet to rotate once) is 59 Earth days.
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How Big Is It?
Mercury is the second smallest planet in the solar system. Pluto is the only planet that is smaller. Earth is about 12000 kilometers in diameter, while
tiny Mercury is less than half that size at about 5000 kilometers in diameter.
To put another way, if Earth was the size of a cricket ball, Mercury would
be a little smaller than a ping-pong ball. Mercury is so small that Ganymede,
one of Jupiter's moons, and Titan, one of Saturn's moons, are both larger. |
Can It Be Seen From Earth?
Mercury can be seen without a telescope, but it is normally
visible for a few days only three or four times a year. Because it is so
close to the Sun, Mercury is normally hidden by sunlight. When the planet
is visible, it can be seen just before sunrise just after sunset.
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What Is It Made Of?
Mercury is one of the rocky planets of the solar system, along with Earth
and Venus.
Mercury is made up mostly of iron, with a thin rocky layer on the planet
surface. |
What Is It Like on The
Surface?
Mercury has many craters on its surface. The planet has
been hit many, many times through the years by asteroids and other
objects. These impacts have caused all the craters on the surface. Earth
probably had this many craters at one time, but our weather has worn them
down over the years. The weather on Mercury varies from extremely hot to
extremely cold. The temperature on the side of the planet facing towards
the Sun is around 370 degrees Celsius. The "daytime" temperature on
Mercury varies, depending on how close it is to the Sun. At the other
extreme, the temperature on the side away from the Sun can be less than
-150 degrees Celsius. |
Resources Used
Astronomy for Kids
www.dustbunny.com/afk/
Small Worlds David Drew: Nelson, 1989
The Gas Giants David Drew: Nelson, 1989
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