The Solar System consists of eight planets. In this article, we'll talk about the planet closest to the Sun and the smallest. It can be seen from Earth, if you're lucky. Its name is Mercury.
What is the Planet Mercury?
When we analyze the “Solar System ” we can see that it is made up of the Sun and the Planets, many of which are accompanied by Satellites.
Next, a brief description will be given of the planet closest to the Sun. With Pluto's reclassification, it became the smallest planet. Its name is Mercury.
The exact date of its discovery is uncertain, and its name was taken from a messenger of the gods. Five planets in the solar system are visible from Earth, and Mercury is one of them. It is located approximately 58 million kilometers from the Sun.
Its orbit tends to be oriented to one side, somewhat elliptical. If you want to observe it, it is recommended after the Sun sets in a direction to the west on the horizon side, also at dawn with a position to the east. It is not recommended in the evening.
The first scholars said that Mercury was always facing the Sun, just as the Moon is facing the Earth, therefore its period of rotation was equivalent to the same period of its movement.
Characteristics of the Planet Mercury
- with a diameter: 4879.4 km.
- with a dough: 3.3010 x 1023 kg.
- with a volume: 60.827.208.742 km3.
- with a density: 5.427 g/cm3.
- On "Solar system” there is a group of planets that are closer to the Star King and Mercury is one of them.
- Its composition is transparent and quite stony material.
- As for Mercury satellites, this planet does not have satellites or rings that rotate in its space and is located within the "Asteroid belt".
- The outer part of the planet contains solid stones. It enters the group where the Earth is located, of the planets with the most rocks that are around the Sun.
- It has not manifested any kind of movement for countless years.
- Due to frequent collisions with meteorites and comets, the outer layer of the planet has millions of craters, this makes it similar to the structure of the Moon.
- Its area is flat and with lines structurally similar to precipices.
- With limits that go to more than hundreds of kilometers and with more than one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two kilometers in height.
- With a core of iron origin and the radius has about two thousand kilometers. There are some theories that say that its interior may be composed of molten iron, as is the interior of the structure of the earth.
- It is the second most viscous planet in the solar system, after Planet Earth.
- With a surface temperature of minimum -173°c and maximum 427°c.
- It goes around the Sun in just eighty-eight days and the sidereal spin time is fifty-eight thousand six hundred forty-six days and if calculated in hours it would be one thousand four hundred seven point five. Everything is calculated according to the earthly period.
- For a long time it was thought that only one face of the Planet could be seen towards the King Star, something that was rectified in the middle of the XNUMXth century, where they certify that it rotates three times every two orbits.
- Its speed of going through that space is fifty kilometers per second, it is much faster than the rest of the planets.
Size
To give you an idea of its size, the Moon is smaller than this planet. Mercury's diameter is 4,879.4 km. This planet's movement is much faster than the other planets because it is closer to the Sun.
In the outer part of the Planet there are different forms, with some sides that are shown in different stages of conservation.
Recent craters are found and their fractured sides protrude as a result of collisions with meteorites. It preserves immense gaps with different links and immense magma lakes.
The planet is full of craters or hollows, one of which stands out for its dimensions of 1,300 kilometers; its name is " Carloris Basin" (It is the most enormous feature on the planet. This hollow originated with the collision of meteorites at the beginning of the universe ).
To have reached this dimension, it is certain that projectiles of an average of one hundred kilometers have fallen on it. With the fall of all these comets and meteorites, there are links of mountainous species that can reach three kilometers in height.
As this Planet is tiny, when the meteorites fall it causes seismic-style ripples which travel to the other side of the planet, causing some indeterminate earthquakes. With these shocks is that the magma lakes originated.
In Mercury are great abysses that are a consequence of the cooling and the reduction of its size in several kilometers. A large percentage of its structure is covered with plains.
These plains, scientists called the intercrater area. This safe part is formed since the previous areas were buried by the magma lakes.
Temperature
Their temperatures often vary. Perhaps it is believed that due to its proximity to the Star King its temperatures are excessively high, the highest temperature it can have is about four hundred degrees Celsius in the area where it perceives the most heat.
As the movement that it makes on itself is not fast, it makes the area that is not exposed to the Sun's heat low in temperature, reaching a temperature of minus one hundred degrees Celsius.
Consequently, at night the temperature is minus one hundred and eighty-three degrees centigrade and during the day at a temperature of four hundred and sixty-seven degrees centigrade, making it one of the planets with the highest temperatures in the Solar area.
Things that may interest the Planet Mercury
In the "planetary system", the Planet that is made up of a large number of craters is Mercury. Due to all the collisions it has had with asteroids and comets, which made all those holes when they fell on the planet. Most of these craters are named after famous people such as writers or artists.
Caloris Planitia is the largest crater on the planet, with an average diameter of 1.400 kilometers.
Much of its surface has a corrugated appearance, this is due to the reduction that the planet suffered when the core was refreshed.
This Planet to be visualized from Earth, has to be at sunset or at the time it is dawning.
There are two sunrises on Mercury, from a specific point you can see this amazing event. In which the Sun peeks over the horizon, it stops, going back the way it left, to make its appearance again and finish its journey.
The Atmosphere of the Planet Mercury
On the planet Mercury, the atmosphere is quite thin; this is one of the reasons why this planet is invaded by hundreds of asteroids and meteorites.
The truth is that its Atmosphere should rather be called Exosphere, whose composition is mostly Sodium, Helium, Oxygen, Potassium, Hydrogen and also by the number of atoms that are scattered throughout the surface and the crash of micrometeorites .
Since the temperatures are quite opposite, the atoms are easily released into space.
The origin of its name is from the “Roman God Mercury”, who was the messenger of the gods.
If someone stands on this Planet, in a place that is closer to the Star King, it would give the impression of measuring three times what it measures on Planet Earth.
This planet has a higher temperature variation than other planets that make up the system.
