The Closest Planet to the Sun

Planet Mercury – A Quick Overview

Planet Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest planet in our Solar System. It is located 36 million miles away from the Sun. It orbits the Sun faster than any other planet and its surface temperatures range from 800°F to -200°F. It is the second densest planet and has no atmosphere to protect it from the Sun’s radiation. Mercury has a diameter of 3,030 miles and a mass of 4.8 x 10^24 kg (3.3% of the mass of Earth).

Mercury’s Surprising Features

Despite its small size, Mercury’s landscape is quite remarkable and full of surprises. It has large craters, ridges, cliffs, and valleys that have been formed by uneven cooling on its surface after it formed. Surprisingly, Mercury also has a magnetic field, which is generated by a core of mostly iron that is partially molten. This magnetic field deflects much of the solar wind from reaching its surface which, in turn, protect the planet from radiation and helps protect the core from freezing over.

Exploring Mercury

Despite its close proximity to the Sun, Mercury has still been explored by several space probes, including Mariner 10, which was the first spacecraft to fly by the planet in 1974, and the more recent Messenger spacecraft, which orbited Mercury for several years and gathered a wealth of data about the planet. Although there has been much exploration, Mercury is still a great mystery and future space missions may reveal more about this enigmatic planet.

Mercury is an intriguing planet that has captivated the interests of scientists and space enthusiast alike. Its remarkable features and close proximity to the Sun make it a great area of exploration and further study. Who knows what mysteries this hot little planet may hold?!