The Planet Mercury

The human has always been curious about the vast space where he lives like a molecule on the Earth. And this curiosity has led him to research a solar system. For the purpose man has also visited the planets like Mars and moon. The advanced technology has made man possible to send the satellites in the sky to collect the information about various events and changes happening in the space. The satellites are like a spy and keep watch on the planet and surrounding space; it takes pictures and sends them on earth.

The Mercury is the nearest planet to the Sun in Solar system. So, if compared, less research work has been done on this planet. Any satellite sent to study Mercury can be pulled out by the Sun because of its proximity to the planet. These are some facts about this planet, which I believe would appease some of your curiosity:

• The planet is named after Mercury a Roman messenger of God by Romans.
• It is second smallest planet and eighth largest, which is one-third the diameter of the Earth. Density is the second highest a little less than Earth's.
• The orbital period of Mercury is 88 days and rotational period is 58.65 days.
• It can be seen in the morning, in the evening and in the daylight with the binocular or even with unaided eyes. It is more often visible from earth's Southern hemisphere.
• Mercury looks like the moon. The surface is packed with plains, craters of various sizes and lava flows.
• Caloris basin is largest crater on Mercury, which is 1,300 kilometers in diameter. The similar basins also have been found on the Moon.
• Mercury has an iron core that creates magnetic field which is 1% as strong as Earth's.
• The planet has no natural satellite and the atmosphere.
• Mariner 10 was the only spacecraft to approach the planet in 1974 -1975 to measure environment and the surface. During the time 2700 pictures of the planet were taken. Mariner 10 has studied only about 45% of Mercury's surface.
• There is no possibility of water on the planet as it is very much closer to the sun, but still some scientists suspect that the white part seen in crater's basin may contain ice which has not been confronted to the sun.
• A lot of fluctuation has been found in the temperatures. A day temperature found is 400 degree Celsius and in the night it goes down to -170 degree Celsius.
• The atmosphere of planet contains 42% Helium, 42% Sodium, 15% Oxygen and 1% other gases.
• From the planet the Sun will appear two and half times larger than the Earth and the Earth will appear blue in color.
• Japan and European Space Agency are planning a joint venture called BepiColumbo to map the planet and to study magnetosphere in 2013.