Planet Mercury Fact: 9 Interesting Things You Probably Don’t Know

What comes to mind when you think of the planet Mercury? Many people might imagine a barren, lifeless world orbiting close to the scorching heat of the sun. But did you know that there is much more to this small, rocky planet than meets the eye?

In this article, we’re going to take you on a journey through 9 fascinating and little-known facts about planet Mercury that are sure to surprise and intrigue you. From its unusual rotation to its surprisingly volatile surface, Mercury offers us a glimpse into the mysteries of our solar system and the universe beyond.

So if you’re ready to discover the secrets of this enigmatic world, buckle up and get ready to explore the wonders of planet Mercury. We guarantee that by the end of this article, you’ll have a newfound appreciation for this fascinating and unique planet.

Interesting Facts About Planet Mercury

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun

Planet Mercury orbits the sun in an elliptical circle. the closest distance of Mercury from the Sun is 46 million km and the farthest distance is 69.8 million km

A year in Mercury is 88 days, compared to Earth’s 365 days

Being the closest planet to the sun Mercury moves very quickly. It was so quick that earlier people believed it to be two stars one arising in the morning and the other in the evening sky.

A day on Mercury is equal to 176 days on Earth.

This is because Mercury is nearly tidally locked to the Sun. Because of this, the rotation of the planet is slowed down quite a bit.

Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system

Mercury has a diameter of 4879 km only compared to the 12,742 Kilometres of the Earth.

Mercury is the most cratered planet in the Solar System.

These craters are caused by many encounters with asteroids and comets. Unlike some other planets of our solar system, they haven’t got healed in due course of time. The largest crater is about 1550 km in diameter and is named The Caloris Basin.

After the Earth, Mercury is the second densest planet.

Despite its small size, Mercury is very dense and is only lighter than the Earth. This is because Mercury is composed mainly of heavy metals and rock.

The gravitational pull of planet Mercury is just 38% of the gravity on Earth.

This means you will weigh far less on Mercury than on planet Earth.

Planet Mercury is not the hottest planet in our solar system.

It might sound pretty weird, but planet Mercury is cooler than planet Venus although it is far closer to the sun than Venus. This is because though Mercury receives more heat from the sun than Venus it cannot hold on to this because of its lack of atmosphere.

Only three spacecraft have ever visited Mercury.

• The first one was The Mariner 10 in 1974-75.
• The second one was The Messenger launched in 2004.
• The latest one named BepiColombo was launched in 2018 and captured its first views of Mercury during a flyby on Oct. 1, 2021.

Conclusion:

Planet Mercury is a unique and fascinating world that offers us a glimpse into the mysteries of our solar system. From its extreme temperature fluctuations to its surprisingly active geology, there is so much to discover and learn about this small, rocky planet.

We hope that this article has given you a newfound appreciation for the intricacies and wonders of Mercury. We encourage you to share this post with your friends and family and to explore more articles on this site to continue learning and expanding your knowledge about the universe around us.