MERCURY THE HOTTEST PLANET

BASIC FACTS

Mercury is the planet nearest to the sun.It is quite smaller than the earth. Because of its nearness to the sun, it is hard to see it in bright sunlight without a telescope. But sometimes it can be seen in the western sky ~at sunset. That is why it is called the Evening Star also.

Mercury completes one rotation around its axis in about 59 earth-days. Till 1965, astronomers believed that this planet completed its revolution in 88 days-the period in which it completes one revolution round the sun. Because of its slow rotation and very fast revolution, its solar day lasts 176 earth-days.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Mercury has a rocky surface just like the earth’s moon. Again, it reflects 6% of the sunlight it receives just as the moon does. It has broad flat plains, steep cliffs and deep craters on its surface. As for the interior of Mercury, it is like that of the earth. It consists of iron and some other heavy elements. Also, it has a magnetic field around it. Mercury is a dry and almost airless planet. On it the sun appears about 2.5 times as big as it appears on the earth and the temperature may reach 342°C during the day. At night, it may drop to about - 193°C. It all happens because of a weak atmosphere.

On this planet, the sky looks black and the stars can be seen by day too. The atmosphere around Mercury consists of a small amount of helium, hydrogen and oxygen. Still it is very thin and weak. Life is not possible on Mercury because of its very high temperature and insufficient oxygen.

IN MYTHOLOGY

In Roman mythology, Mercury was the messenger of gods. He was the god of roads, travel, commerce, property and wealth. The words merchant, commerce and merchandise are related to it.