Mercury

Mercury is the smallest planet in the Solar System and the closest to the Sun, orbiting at an average distance of just 58 million kilometers. Despite its proximity to the Sun, Mercury has no significant atmosphere to trap heat, leading to dramatic temperature swings—from 430°C during the day to -180°C at night.

The surface of Mercury is heavily cratered, resembling Earth’s Moon. It’s a world of extremes, with cliffs that stretch for hundreds of kilometers, formed as the planet’s core cooled and contracted.

Formation and Structure of Mercury

Mercury formed from the accretion of rocky materials close to the Sun. Its small size and proximity mean it lost much of its volatile components. Mercury's structure includes:

• Core: Dominated by iron, making up about 85% of its radius.
• Mantle and Crust: Thin, rocky layers surrounding the core.

Significance

Mercury’s extreme temperature variations and cratered surface offer clues about the early Solar System’s history.

Fun Facts

• A day on Mercury (sunrise to sunrise) is 176 Earth days long, but its year (one orbit around the Sun) is only 88 Earth days.
• Mercury has a magnetic field, but it’s only about 1% as strong as Earth’s.
• Despite being the smallest planet, Mercury is incredibly dense, with a large iron core making up about 85% of its radius.

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