Mercury



 

    Mercury is the closest of all the planets to the sun.  It is only 36,000,000 miles (57,900,000 km).   Mercury moves the fastest of all the planets.  The side that is facing the sun the temperature is over 800F (about 450C). On the side that is facing away from the sun, it is -300F (-186C). It takes Mercury only 88 (Earth) days to revolve once around the sun. One day on Mercury is the equivalent of 59 Earth days (6 months). Mercury's average orbital speed is about (48 km/sec) at an axis tilt of 0 degrees.

    The diameter of Mercury is 3,031 miles (4,880 km). The gravity on Mercury is 0.38% of  Earth's gravity.  There is no atmosphere on Mercury.  Do to this, when an asteroid hits Mercury, there is no sound produced, and with the low gravity, most if the debris is shot out into space.  A Peculiar is formed on the other side from the compression wave and the lack of a solid center core.

 

Some fast facts about Mercury

Mercury Statistics
 Mass (kg)3.303e+23 
 Mass (Earth = 1)5.5271e-02 
 Equatorial radius (km)2,439.7 
 Equatorial radius (Earth = 1)3.8252e-01 
 Mean density (gm/cm^3)5.42 
 Mean distance from the Sun (km)57,910,000 
 Mean distance from the Sun (Earth = 1)0.3871 
 Rotational period (days)58.6462 
 Orbital period (days)87.969 
 Mean orbital velocity (km/sec)47.88 
 Orbital eccentricity0.2056 
 Tilt of axis (degrees)0.00 
 Orbital inclination (degrees)7.004 
 Equatorial surface gravity (m/sec^2)2.78 
 Equatorial escape velocity (km/sec)4.25 
 Visual geometric albedo0.10 
 Magnitude (Vo)-1.9 
 Mean surface temperature179°C 
 Maximum surface temperature427°C 
 Minimum surface temperature-173°C 
 Atmospheric composition
Helium
Sodium
Oxygen
Other

42% 
42% 
15% 
1% 



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