Unusual facts about Mercury, the smallest planet in the solar system
The solar system's smallest planet, mercury is known for its short years, long days, severe temperatures, and strange sunsets. It is also the closest planet to the sun. Hence, it orbits the sun quicker than any other planet, prompting the Romans to name it after their swift-footed messenger god. We have compiled some surprising facts about Mercury below. Read on.
Mercury is named after the Roman god of commerce
Mercury's orbit is so tiny that it appears to move faster in the sky than the other planets. Hence, the Romans named it after Mercury, a Roman god who is sometimes depicted as a swift messenger wearing a winged helmet. Mercury was also the god of trade, finance, communication, and eloquence, among other things.
Mercury experiences extreme temperature changes
Despite being the closest planet to the sun, Mercury's surface can be exceedingly frigid. The temperature can reach 840 degrees Fahrenheit (450 degrees Celsius) during the day, while it can drop to minus 275 degrees Fahrenheit at night (minus 170 C). This variation equates to a temperature change of almost 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit (600 degrees Celsius), the biggest of any planet in the solar system.
Mercury is the smallest planet in the entire solar system
As aforementioned, mercury happens to be the smallest planet of our solar system. The tiny planet is around the size of the continental United States of America, and just slightly larger than Earth's moon, with a diameter of 3,030 miles (4,876 kilometres). It is even smaller than Titan, Saturn's moon, and Ganymede, Jupiter's moon. Pluto was once thought to be the smallest planet in the solar system, but it was demoted to a "dwarf planet!"
Mercury orbits the sun quicker than any other planet
Mercury orbits the sun at a faster rate than any other planet. Along its egg-shaped or elliptical orbit, it travels at a speed of around 112,000 mph (180,000 km/h). The planet gets as close to the sun as 29 million miles (47 million km) and as far away from it as 43 million miles (70 million km). In other words, mercury travels around the sun every 88 days. Further, it spins slowly on its axis and completes one rotation every 59 Earth days.
Mercury contains water in the form of solid ice
Water in the form of solid ice is found on Mercury, which is astonishing. However, this water deposit is always sheltered from the sun, thus there is no liquid water available. Mercury is cooled to varying degrees when it is in the presence of water. That is why Venus, not Mercury, is the hottest planet in the solar system.
Mercury has a very thin atmosphere
Mercury's atmosphere is the thinnest among all planets in the solar system. The planet's atmosphere is so thin that scientists have coined the term ‘exosphere’ to describe it. Exospheres are also found on the moon and other bodies in the solar system, making them the most prevalent type of atmosphere in the universe, according to NASA scientists.