MercuryMercuryAndrew ChezAndrew Chez

Discovery And NameDiscovery And Name• Since mercury is visible with the naked eye it truly Since mercury is visible with the naked eye it truly

is impossible to say who really discovered the is impossible to say who really discovered the planet, but the model Copernicus made in 1543 planet, but the model Copernicus made in 1543 with sun in the center of the solar system listed with sun in the center of the solar system listed Mercury as a planet and Galileo backed up this Mercury as a planet and Galileo backed up this evidence.evidence.

• Mercury is named after the messenger to the Mercury is named after the messenger to the Roman godsRoman gods

Composition/ Composition/ AppearanceAppearance

• Mercury has a rocky Mercury has a rocky surfacesurface

• Mercury's core is 70% Mercury's core is 70% metal and 30% metal and 30% silicates silicates

• Mercury has a gray Mercury has a gray surface with craters surface with craters

Specifications of Specifications of MercuryMercury

• First planet from the SunFirst planet from the Sun

• Approximately 57.9* km from SunApproximately 57.9* km from Sun

• Approximately 91.6* km from EarthApproximately 91.6* km from Earth

• Mass: 3.3022x 10Mass: 3.3022x 102323 km km

• Volume: 60,827,208,742 kmVolume: 60,827,208,742 km33

• Average Radius: 2,439.7 kmAverage Radius: 2,439.7 km

• Rotation (Earth days): 58.646Rotation (Earth days): 58.646

• Orbit (Earth Years): 0.241Orbit (Earth Years): 0.241

* millions * millions

Moons?Moons?• There is no evidence of There is no evidence of

moons orbiting Mercury but moons orbiting Mercury but experts haven't ruled out experts haven't ruled out possibility due to how hard possibility due to how hard it has been to study the it has been to study the planet, and because not all planet, and because not all data from MESSENGER was data from MESSENGER was analyzed. A moon was analyzed. A moon was thought to have existed thought to have existed during the 1970's but it was during the 1970's but it was later confirmed as a later confirmed as a misinterpretation of a star.misinterpretation of a star.

MESSENGER MESSENGER

• MESSENGER is a robotic MESSENGER is a robotic spacecraft orbiting mercury spacecraft orbiting mercury that has given us most of that has given us most of our information and our information and photographs of the planet photographs of the planet

• MESSENGER has recently MESSENGER has recently provided the possibility of provided the possibility of water in the form of ice at water in the form of ice at bottom of Mercury's deeper bottom of Mercury's deeper craters due to the fact that craters due to the fact that Mercury has a little tilt on Mercury has a little tilt on axis so the ice would get no axis so the ice would get no direct sunlight. direct sunlight.

Atmosphere, Weather, Atmosphere, Weather, And TemperatureAnd Temperature

• Mercury barely has a Mercury barely has a atmosphere. But the thin atmosphere. But the thin atmosphere it does have is atmosphere it does have is composed of hydrogen, helium, composed of hydrogen, helium, oxygen, sodium, calcium, oxygen, sodium, calcium, potassium, and water vapors.potassium, and water vapors.

• There is not weather on the There is not weather on the planet due to the lack of planet due to the lack of atmosphere but there is seasons atmosphere but there is seasons with more or less sunlight and with more or less sunlight and drastic temperature changes.drastic temperature changes.

• Temperature changes drastically Temperature changes drastically depending on the time of the depending on the time of the day going from -300ºF all the day going from -300ºF all the way to 800ºF. The average way to 800ºF. The average surface temperature is 440ºFsurface temperature is 440ºF

What If Humans Visited?What If Humans Visited?

• If a human was to travel to Mercury without If a human was to travel to Mercury without specialized equipment a lot of things could and specialized equipment a lot of things could and would happen. The human could either be frozen would happen. The human could either be frozen to death or burned to death depending on the time to death or burned to death depending on the time of the day. Since there is barely an atmosphere the of the day. Since there is barely an atmosphere the person would choke to death due to lack in person would choke to death due to lack in oxygen. Weight is 1/3 of that on Earth so the oxygen. Weight is 1/3 of that on Earth so the person would be able to bounce at a great height.person would be able to bounce at a great height.

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