MERCURY

OUR TOPIC

mercury

MERCURY

Was named by the Romans in honor of Mercury, messenger of gods.

Mercury wore a hat and sandals with wings on them, allowing him to travel quickly.

The planet was named after him because it moves around the sun faster than any other planet in the solar system.

Why is it called Mercury?

Mercury is a battered and baked planet just larger than Earth's moon. Evidence of heavy bombardment from the chaos of the formation of the solar system is left in the hundreds of craters and resulting lava flows on this small, barren planet. The largest crater is Beethoven at 643 km in diameter and is the largest in the solar system. The largest feature, Caloris Basin, is 1300 km in diameter and was probably caused by an impact from an object larger than 100 km in diameter. Some craters have ice in them even though the planet is so hot because the sun never reaches into the shadows due to the planet's tilt and orbit. With no atmosphere, there is a temperature difference of about 600 degrees between the coldest spots and hottest spots on the planet.

craters

Equatorial radius(earth radii) – 0.3825 Equatorial inclination(degrees) – 0.01 Mass(earth masses) – 0.0553 Average density(g/cm3) – 5.4 Rotational period(days) – 58.6 Orbital period(years) – 0.2408 Average distance from the sun(AUs) – 0.3871

CHARACTERISTICS

Orbital eccentricity(ratio) – 0.206 Orbital inclination(degrees) – 7 Moons(number) – 0 Density - 5.43 g/cm3

Mass - 3.303 x 1023 kg Volume - 6.084 x 1010 km3

CHARACTERISTICS

Temperature Range -- -173° C to 427° C Atmosphere - Some Hydrogen, Helium,

Oxygen Winds – None Tilt - 0.00° Rings – None Orbital Period - 0 Years, 87 Days, 23.3 Hours Rotation - 58 Days, 15.5 Hours

CHARACTERISTICS

Composition - Iron Core, Silicate Surface Magnetic Field - Slight

CHARACTERISTICS

• A day on mercury is almost twice as long as a year

• If you stand on the surface of Mercury from one sunrise to another, it is equal to 176 Earth days.

Years and days

Distance from sun – approximately 58 million kilometers

Diameter - 4,879km (3,032mi) Volume and mass – 1/18 of earth Mean density – 5.4g/cm3

Force of gravity on planet’s surface – 1/3 of that on earth’s surface

measurements

The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt.

 It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits.

The perihelion of Mercury's orbit precesses around the Sun at an excess of 43 arcseconds per century; a phenomenon that was explained in the 20th century by Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity.[11]

Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System,[a] orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days.

Axis, rotations and orbits

Mercury orbits the sun at an average distance of about 36 million miles (58 million kilometres), compared with about 93 million miles (150 million kilometres) for Earth.

Axis, rotations and orbits

Mercury is bright when viewed from Earth, ranging from −2.3 to 5.7 in apparent magnitude, but is not easily seen as its greatest angular separation from the Sun is only 28.3°

Since Mercury is normally lost in the glare of the Sun, unless there is a solar eclipse it can be viewed from Earth's Northern Hemisphere only in morning or evening twilight, while its extreme elongations occur in Declinations south of the celestial equator, such that it can be seen at favorable apparitions from moderate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere in a fully dark sky.

When viewed from earth

This event takes place about thirteen or fourteen times each century.

Last time was November 8 2006 The next time will be on May 9 2016

When viewed from earth

This is how you see Mercury from Earth

mapped about 45% of the planet’s surface from 1974 to 1975

Launched in 1973

Visited by Mariner 10

Mariner 10

Launched in 2004 First three flybys occurring in 2008 last flyby took place in September 2009  is scheduled to attain orbit around Mercury

in 2011

Visited my MESSENGER

MESSENGER

Mercury is similar in appearance to the Moon: it is heavily cratered with regions of smooth plains, has no natural satellites and no substantial atmosphere. 

However, unlike the Moon, it has a large iron core, which generates a magnetic field about 1% as strong as that of the Earth.

It is an exceptionally dense planet due to the large relative size of its core.

Comparing to our moon

Surface temperatures range from about 90 to 700 K (−183 °C to 427 °C)

 subsolar point being the hottest and the bottoms of craters near the poles being the coldest.

Temperatures also change from day to night

temperatures

The Greeks gave it two names: Apollo for when it appeared as a morning star and Hermes when it came as an evening star.

Name

Because of Mercury’s weird orbit and rotation, the morning Sun appears to rise briefly, set and rise again. The same thing happens in reverse at sunset.

Mercury is roughly the same age as the Sun, 4.5 billion years.

Mercury is the fastest moving planet in our Solar System and is the nearest planet to the Sun. Mercury is one of the four terrestrial planets, being a rocky body like the Earth. It is the smallest of the four.

facts

The astronomical symbols of our planets

Sun

Mercury

Venus

Earth

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Pluto (dwarf planet )

Eris (dwarf planet )

Ceres (dwarf planet)

QUESTIONS

Who is the one who wears hat and sandals with wings on them?

mercury

#1

Why is mercury named after him? because it moves around the sun faster than

any other planet in the solar system.

#2

How long is a day on mercury? A day on mercury is almost twice as long as

a year

#3

How many earth day are there if you stand from one sunrise to another?

If you stand on the surface of Mercury from one sunrise to another, it is equal to 176 Earth days.

#4

How many rotations are there every two orbits?

It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits.

#5

When was a phenomenon explained? a phenomenon that was explained in the

20th century by Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity.[11]

#6

What is mercury? Mercury is the innermost and smallest 

planet in the Solar System,[a]

#7

Is mercury bright or dark from earth? Mercury is bright when viewed from Earth

#8

When viewed from earth, what is it’s range? ranging from −2.3 to 5.7 in 

apparent magnitude

#9

If there is a solar eclipse, when and where can we see it?

there is a solar eclipse it can be viewed from Earth's Northern Hemisphere only in morning or evening twilight

#10

About how many times can you see it every century?

This event takes place about thirteen or fourteen times each century.

#11

When was the last time it appeared? Last time was November 8 2006

#12

When will we see it next time? The next time will be on May 9 2016

#13

What percent did it map? mapped about 45% of the planet’s surface

from 1974 to 1975

#14

When did it launch? (mariner 10) Launched in 1973

#15

When was it launched? (messenger) Launched in 2004

#16

When did the first three flybys occur? (messenger)

First three flybys occurring in 2008

#17

When did the last flyby occur? (messenger) last flyby took place in September 2009

#18

How old is mercury? Mercury is roughly the same age as the Sun,

4.5 billion years.

#19

#20

mercury

#21

venus

#22

mars

#23

sun

#24

uranus

#25

earth

#26

uranus

#27

saturn

#28

pluto

#29

neptune

#30

eris

#31

pluto

#32

ceres

#33

eris

#34

jupiter

#35

Mariner 10

#36

MESSENGER

What are the two names that the Greek called mercury?

Apollo and Hermes

#37

What did the Greeks call mercury as the evening star?

Hermes

#38

What did they call mercury as the morning star?

Apollo

#39