Mercury
Mythology
The mythology behind this planet is pretty well known. Mercury was the Roman messenger god. Today Mercury is the florist’s symbol. Mercury became the planet’s name because of the speed it would cross the sky. In medieval alchemy, the planet was associated with quicksilver, the old name for the element mercury.
 Facts
This planet is the second smallest of the planets with a diameter of 4,878 km (only .382 of the Earth’s diameter). It is the closest to the sun at 57.91 million km (.3871 AU). Mercury’s day is equal to roughly 59 of our days, while the year is only 88 earth days, compared to our 365.25. Mercury rotates on its axis so slowly that a year on Mercury is only equal to about a day and a half Mercury days.
Viewing Mercury
Of the inner planets, Mercury is actually the hardest to view. This is not because of how far it is away, but how close it is to the sun. Mercury can only be seen during dawn or dusk, but it is still a challenge to the naked eye or binocular observer. Your best bet is to check astronomy publications to find the best viewing months.
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