Astrophysics (Index)About

Mercury

(inner-most and smallest planet in the solar system)

Mercury is the nearest solar system planet to the Sun and the smallest. Characteristics:

It has no moons. It is a rocky planet with virtually no atmosphere, but has a magnetic field, which was not expected. It was also thought to be tidally locked to rotate once per orbit, but in fact rotates 1.5 times per orbit, a 3:2 resonance which has the same side of the planet facing the Sun every two perihelia. Its orbit is considerably more eccentric than those of the other seven solar-system planets (though Pluto's is a bit more eccentric). Two NASA spacecraft have visited Mercury: Mariner 10 flew by and MESSENGER orbited it for 4 years. A current ESA/JAXA mission, BepiColombo was launched in 2018, aiming to reach Mercury in 2025.


(planet,solar system)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_(planet)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploration_of_Mercury
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mercury/overview/
https://www.planetary.org/worlds/mercury
RedshiftParsecs
/Distance
Lightyears
/Lookback Years
  
~00.6AU~0lynearestMercury
~01.6AU~0lyfurthestMercury

Referenced by pages:
albedo
asteroid
astronomical symbol
BepiColombo
equilibrium condensation model
equilibrium temperature (Teq)
exosphere
Ganymede
gravity assist
ion engine
late heavy bombardment (LHB)
magnetic field
magnitude
MESSENGER
moment of inertia factor
moon
obliquity
Parker Solar Probe (PSP)
planet type
radiation belt
rocky planet
rotation period
solar day
Solar Orbiter (SolO)
solar system object (SSO)
synodic period
tidal locking
Titius-Bode law
Venus

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