Mercury Flashcards
How much would you weigh on Mercury?
If you moved to Mercury you would not weigh as much as you do on Earth. Not because you would lose weight on the spaceship, but because Mercury is smaller, and so has less gravity. If you weigh 70 pounds (32 kg) on Earth, you would weigh only about 27 pounds (12 kg) on Mercury.
Where is it located?
The planet Mercury is the closest of the planets to the Sun. Because this planet lies so close to the Sun, and as a result somewhat near to Earth, it is visible to observers on Earth in the late evening or early morning sky.
What is mercury made of?
Because of its proximity to the Sun, Mercury’s evolution took a slightly different course than that of the other planets. As the Sun formed, it pushed much of the lighter gas and dust out of the inner Solar System, leaving behind only heavier elements. As a result, Mercury is made out of a large percentage of heavier elements, mainly iron. It is essentially a large metal ball of iron with a very thin silicate crust. Mercury’s core makes up about 75% of the planet. Its thin mantle, or crust, is only about 300 to 400 miles thick (500 to 600 km). Next to Earth, Mercury is the second most dense planet in our Solar System.
Mercury’s iron core is about the size of the moon. Iron makes up about 70% of Mercury’s total weight making Mercury the most iron-rich planet in the Solar System. On top of this core, lies an outer, rocky shell which is about 350 miles (~550 km) thick.
What is the surface like?
Water ice, left over from impacting objects, may exist at the bottom of craters near either pole. The heat on the sunward side has apparently not melted the rock to smooth out the impact craters, and the atmosphere is too thin to carry much heat to the poles or the night side.
The surface of the planet Mercury is covered with craters. These craters have been created by eons of accidental encounters with asteroids and comets. All celestial bodies within the Solar System are subject to these bombardments. However, many of the planets have the ability to heal themselves through natural geological processes.
Because Mercury’s crust is so thick and hard, no volcanic activity can make its way through to the surface of the planet. Since this surface volcanic activity cannot happen, Mercury will forever retain its scars.
Does mercury have an atmosphere?
The planet Mercury is too small and has too little gravity to hold onto an atmosphere. Any gases released from the planet quickly escape into space. Also, Mercury is so close to the Sun that any atmosphere is quickly blown away by the Sun’s solar winds. That means that there is almost no air on Mercury.
Temperature Extremes
Mercury is just a little bit larger than Earth’s moon. The surface of Mercury that faces the Sun can reach about 800 degrees Fahrenheit. On the other hand, the temperature on the nighttime side can plummet to almost -300 degrees Fahrenheit. This is because Mercury has little to no atmosphere to help regulate temperature.
how long is one mercury day compared to earth?
Because of its close location to the Sun, the planet Mercury has become tidally locked to the Sun, or nearly so. The tidal forces of the Sun have over eons of time slowed down the rotation of Mercury to match its revolution around the Sun. The result is that Mercury rotates very slowly. One day on Mercury is about 58-1/2 Earth days long. But while Mercury’s days are very long, its revolution around the Sun is rather fast. Mercury can complete one orbit around the Sun in only 88 Earth days. That’s just about 3 months here on Earth. This is why Mercury’s name is so appropriate. In mythology, Mercury was a speedy messenger, just like the planet’s speedy revolution around the Sun.
