Mercury is the closest planet to the sun.  It is the second smallest planet in our solar system.  Since Mercury is so close to the sun, you can only see it near sunrise or sunset. It is about the size of our moon. Mercury has been known since at least around the 3^rd millennium BC.

     A mercury day  is 58.65 Earth days. During the day, the temperature on Mercury is hotter than an oven.  It is hot enough to melt lead.

     Night time on Mercury is cooler than a freezer. It drops to -328 degrees Fahrenheit. 

    Mercury’s surface is similar to the surface of our moon.  It is full of craters.  However, part of Mercury has areas of smooth plains.

Mercury Facts

•  Mercury has a very small magnetic field.
   

• Mercury is only slightly larger than the Earth’s moon.
   

• If you were on Mercury, the sun would look three times as large as it would on earth. 
    

• Mercury is the fastest moving planet.