Mercury has the same mass. Mass of Mercury

Mercury- the planet closest to the Sun general information about Mercury and other planets you will find in Appendix 1) - the average distance from the Sun is 57,909,176 km. However, the distance from the Sun to Mercury can vary from 46.08 to 68.86 million km. The distance of Mercury from the Earth is from 82 to 217 million km. Mercury's axis is almost perpendicular to the plane of its orbit.

Due to the slight inclination of the axis of rotation of Mercury to the plane of its orbit, noticeable seasonal changes not on this planet. Mercury has no satellites.

Mercury is a small planet. Its mass is a twentieth of the mass of the Earth, and the radius is 2.5 times less than the earth's.

Scientists believe that in the center of the planet there is a large iron core - it accounts for 80% of the mass of the planet, and on top - a mantle of stone rocks.

For observations from the Earth, Mercury is a difficult object, since it always has to be observed against the background of the evening or morning dawn low above the horizon, and besides, at this time, the observer sees only half of its disk illuminated.

The first to explore Mercury was the American space probe Mariner-10, which in 1974-1975. flew past the planet three times. The maximum approach of this space probe to Mercury was 320 km.

The surface of the planet is like a wrinkled apple peel, it is riddled with cracks, depressions, mountain ranges, the highest of which reach 2-4 km, with sheer ledges-escarps 2-3 km high and hundreds of kilometers long. In a number of regions of the planet, valleys and craterless plains are visible on the surface. Average density soil - 5.43 g / cm 3.

On the studied hemisphere of Mercury there is the only flat place - the Heat Plain. It is assumed that this is a frozen lava that erupted from the depths after a collision with a giant asteroid about 4 billion years ago.

Atmosphere of Mercury

The atmosphere of Mercury has an extremely low density. It consists of hydrogen, helium, oxygen, calcium vapor, sodium and potassium (Fig. 1). The planet probably receives hydrogen and helium from the Sun, and metals evaporate from its surface. This thin shell can be called "atmosphere" only with a big stretch. The pressure at the surface of the planet is 500 billion times less than at the surface of the Earth (this is less than in modern vacuum installations on Earth).

General characteristics of the planet Mercury

The maximum surface temperature of Mercury, recorded by sensors, is +410 °C. average temperature the night hemisphere is -162 ° C, and the daytime +347 ° C (this is enough to melt lead or tin). Temperature differences due to the change of seasons caused by the elongation of the orbit reach 100 °C on the day side. At a depth of 1 m, the temperature is constant and equal to +75 ° C, because porous soil does not conduct heat well.

Organic life on Mercury is ruled out.

Rice. 1. The composition of the atmosphere of Mercury

The first photo of MESSENGER from Mercury's orbit, with the bright Debussy crater visible at upper right. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington.

Characteristics of Mercury

Weight: 0.3302 x 1024 kg
Volume: 6.083 x 10 10 km 3
Medium radius: 2439.7 km
Average diameter: 4879.4 km
Density: 5.427 g/cm3
escape speed (second space velocity): 4.3 km/s
Surface Gravity: 3.7 m/s2
Optical magnitude: -0.42
Natural satellites: 0
Rings? - Not
Major axis: 57,910,000 km
Orbital period: 87.969 days
Perihelion: 46,000,000 km
Aphelion: 69,820,000 km
Average orbital speed: 47.87 km/s
Maximum orbital speed: 58.98 km/s
Minimum orbital speed: 38.86 km/s
Orbital inclination: 7.00°
Orbital eccentricity: 0.2056
Sidereal rotation period: 1407.6 hours
Day length: 4222.6 hours
Discovery: Known since prehistoric times
Minimum distance from Earth: 77,300,000 km
Maximum distance from Earth: 221,900,000 km
Maximum apparent diameter: 13 arc seconds
Minimum apparent diameter from Earth: 4.5 arcseconds
Maximum optical magnitude: -1.9

Mercury Size

How much large Mercury? surface area, volume and equatorial diameter. Surprisingly, it is also one of the densest. She acquired her title of "smallest" after Pluto was demoted. This is why the old accounts refer to Mercury as the second smallest planet. The above are the three criteria we will use to show .

Some scientists believe that Mercury is actually contracting. The liquid core of the planet occupies 42% of the volume. The rotation of the planet allows to cool a small part of the core. This cooling and contraction is believed to be evidenced by cracks in the planet's surface.

Much like , and the continued presence of these craters indicates that the planet has not been geologically active for billions of years. This knowledge is based on partial mapping of the planet (55%). It is unlikely to change even after MESSENGER maps the entire surface [ed. note: as of April 1, 2012]. The planet was most likely heavily bombarded by asteroids and comets during the Late Heavy Bombardment about 3.8 billion years ago. Some regions would be filled with magmatic eruptions from within the planet. These cratered smooth plains are similar to those found on the Moon. As the planet cooled, individual cracks and ravines formed. These features can be seen on top of other features which are a clear indication that they are new. Volcanic eruptions ceased on Mercury about 700-800 million years ago, when the planet's mantle contracted enough to prevent lava flows.

The WAC image, showing a never-before-photographed region of Mercury's surface, was taken from an altitude of about 450 km above Mercury. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington.

Mercury diameter (and radius)

The diameter of Mercury is 4,879.4 km.

Need a way to compare it to something more similar? The diameter of Mercury is only 38% of the diameter of the Earth. In other words, you could fit almost 3 Mercurys side by side to match the Earth's diameter.

In fact, there are those that have a larger diameter than Mercury. The largest moon in the solar system is Jupiter's moon Ganymede, with a diameter of 5.268 km, and the second largest moon is , with a diameter of 5.152 km.

Earth's moon is only 3,474 km in diameter, so Mercury isn't much larger.

If you want to calculate the radius of Mercury, you need to divide the diameter in half. Since the diameter is 4,879.4 km, the radius of Mercury is 2,439.7 km.

Diameter of Mercury in kilometers: 4,879.4 km
Diameter of Mercury in miles: 3,031.9 miles
Radius of Mercury in kilometers: 2,439.7 km
Radius of Mercury in miles: 1,516.0 miles

Circumference of Mercury

The circumference of Mercury is 15.329 km. In other words, if Mercury's equator were perfectly flat and you could drive a car over it, your odometer would add 15.329 km to travel.

Most planets are spheroids compressed at the poles, so their equatorial circumference is greater than from pole to pole. The faster they rotate, the more flattened the planet is, so the distance from the center of the planet to its poles is shorter than the distance from the center to the equator. But Mercury rotates so slowly that its circumference doesn't depend on where you measure it.

You can calculate the circumference of Mercury yourself using the classical mathematical formulas to get the circumference of the circle.

Circumference = 2 x Pi x radius

We know that the radius of Mercury is 2,439.7 km. So if you plug these numbers into: 2 x 3.1415926 x 2439.7 you get 15.329 km.

Circumference of Mercury in kilometers: 15.329 km
Circumference of Mercury in miles: 9.525 km

Crescent of Mercury.

Volume of Mercury

The volume of Mercury is 6.083 x 10 10 km 3 . It seems like a huge number, but Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system by volume (downgraded to Pluto). It is even smaller than some of the moons in our solar system. The volume of Mercury is only 5.4% of the volume of the Earth, and the Sun is 240.5 million times larger than Mercury in volume.

More than 40% of the volume of mercury is occupied by its core, to be exact 42%. The core has a diameter of about 3,600 km. This makes Mercury the second densest planet among our eight. The core is molten and mostly iron. The molten core can produce a magnetic field that helps reflect the solar wind. The planet's magnetic field and negligible gravity allows it to maintain a negligible atmosphere.

It is believed that Mercury was at one time more big planet; therefore, had a larger volume. There is one theory to explain it current size, which many scientists have recognized on several levels. The theory explains the density of mercury and high percent substances in the nucleus. The theory states that Mercury originally had a ratio of metals to silicates similar to ordinary meteorites, as is characteristic of rocky matter in our solar system. At the time, the planet is believed to have had a mass of about 2.25 times its current mass, but early in the Solar System's history it was hit by a planetesimal that was 1/6th of its mass and several hundred kilometers in diameter. The impact scraped away much of the original crust and mantle, leaving the core as most of the planet and greatly reducing the planet's volume.

Volume of Mercury in cubic kilometers: 6.083 x 10 10 km 3 .

Mass of Mercury
The mass of Mercury is only 5.5% of the earth's mass; actual value 3.30 x 10 23 kg. Since Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system, you would expect it to be a relatively small mass. On the other hand, Mercury is the second densest planet in our solar system (after Earth). Given its size, the density comes mostly from the core, estimated at nearly half the planet's volume.

The mass of the planet is made up of substances that are 70% metallic and 30% silicate. There are several theories to explain why the planet is so dense and rich in metallic substances. Most of the widely supported theories support that a high core percentage is the result of an impact. In this theory, the planet originally had a ratio of metals to silicates similar to the chondrite meteorites common in our solar system and 2.25 times its current mass. Early in the history of our universe, Mercury hit a planetesimal-sized collision object that was 1/6 of Mercury's hypothetical mass and hundreds of kilometers in diameter. An impact of this magnitude would have scraped away much of the crust and mantle, leaving a huge core. Scientists believe that a similar incident created our Moon. Additional theory says that the planet was formed before the Sun's energy stabilized. The planet had a much larger mass in this theory, but the temperatures created by the proto-sun would have been very high, around 10,000 Kelvin, and most of the rock on the surface would have been vaporized. The rock vapor could then be blown away by the solar wind.

Mass of Mercury in kilograms: 0.3302 x 1024 kg
Mass of Mercury in pounds: 7.2796639 x 1023 pounds
Mass of Mercury in metric tons: 3.30200 x 1020 tons
Mass of Mercury in tons: 3.63983195 x 10 20

An artist's conception of a MESSENGER in orbit around Mercury. Credit: NASA

Mercury's gravity

Mercury's gravity is 38% earth's gravity. A person weighing 980 Newtons (about 220 pounds) on Earth would only weigh 372 Newtons (83.6 pounds) landing on the surface of the planet. Mercury is only slightly larger than our Moon, so you can expect gravity to be similar to the moon's 16% of Earth's. Big difference at a higher density, Mercury is the second densest planet in the Solar System. In fact, if Mercury were the same size as the Earth, it would be even denser than our own planet.

It is important to clarify the difference between mass and weight. Mass is a measure of how much substance something contains. Therefore, if you have 100 kg of mass on Earth, you have the same amount on Mars, or in intergalactic space. Weight, however, is the gravitational force you feel. Although bathroom scales measure in pounds or kilograms, they should actually measure in newtons, which are a measure of weight.

Take your current weight in either pounds or kilograms and then multiply by 0.38 on the calculator. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you would weigh 57 pounds on Mercury. If you weigh 68 kg on a floor scale, your weight on Mercury would be 25.8 kg.

You can also flip this number to figure out how much stronger you would be. For example, how high you could jump, or how much weight you could lift. The current high jump world record is 2.43 meters. Divide 2.43 by 0.38 and you would have a world high jump record if it were reached on Mercury. In this case, it would be 6.4 meters.

In order to avoid Mercury's gravity, you need to move at a speed of 4.3 km/s, or about 15,480 km/h. Compare this to Earth, where the escape velocity (ESV) of our planet is 11.2 km/s. If you compare the ratio between two planets, you get 38%.

Gravity on the surface of Mercury: 3.7 m/s 2
Escape velocity (second space velocity) of Mercury: 4.3 km/s

Density of Mercury

The density of Mercury is the second highest in the Solar System. Earth is the only denser planet. It is equal to 5.427 g/cm 3 compared to the earth's density of 5.515 g/cm 3 . If gravitational contraction were removed from the equation, Mercury would be denser. The high density of the planet is a sign of a large percentage of the core. The core makes up 42% of the total volume of Mercury.

Mercury is a terrestrial planet like Earth, only one of four in our solar system. Mercury has about 70% metallic substances and 30% silicates. Add in the density of Mercury and scientists can deduce the details of its internal structure. While the high density of the Earth is largely responsible for the gravitational contraction at the core, Mercury is much smaller and not as much compressed internally. These facts made it possible NASA scientists and others to suggest that its core must be large and contain crushing amounts of iron. Planetary geologists estimate that the planet's molten core comprises about 42% of its volume. On Earth, the core occupies 17%.

Internal structure of Mercury.

This leaves the silicate mantle only 500-700 kkm thick. Data from Mariner 10 led scientists to believe that the crust is even thinner, on the order of 100-300 km. The mantle surrounds the core, which has more iron than any other planet in the solar system. So what caused this disproportionate amount of core matter? Most scientists accept the theory that Mercury had a ratio of metals to silicates similar to common meteorites - chondrites - several billion years ago. They also believe that it had a mass of 2.25 times its current mass; however, Mercury may have hit a planetesimal 1/6 the mass of Mercury and hundreds of kilometers in diameter. The impact would have scraped away much of the original crust and mantle, leaving a larger percentage of the planet at the core.

While scientists have a few facts about Mercury's density, there are more to be discovered. Mariner 10 sent back a lot of information, but was able to study only 44% of the planet's surface. fills in the gaps on the map as you read this article, and the BepiColumbo mission will go further in expanding our knowledge of this planet. Soon to appear more theories to explain high density planets.

Density of Mercury in grams per cubic centimeter: 5.427 g/cm3.

Axis of Mercury

Like all planets in the Solar System, Mercury's axis is tilted from . In this case, the axial tilt is 2.11 degrees.

What exactly is the axial tilt of the planet? First imagine that the Sun is a ball in the middle of a flat disc, like a vinyl disc or CD. The planets are in orbit around the Sun inside this disk (larger or smaller). This disk is known as the plane of the ecliptic. Each planet also rotates on its own axis when it is in orbit around the sun. If the planet rotated perfectly straight up and down, then this line through the north and south poles of the planet would be perfectly parallel with the poles of the Sun, the planet would have an axial tilt of 0 degrees. Of course, none of the planets has such an inclination.

So if you were to draw a line between north and south poles Mercury and compared it with an imaginary line, Mercury would not have an axial tilt at all, this angle would be 2.11 degrees. You might be surprised to know that Mercury's tilt is the smallest of all the planets in the solar system. For example, the tilt of the Earth is 23.4 degrees. And Uranus is generally turned upside down on its axis and rotates with an axial inclination of 97.8 degrees.

Here on Earth, the axial tilt of our planet causes the seasons. When it's summer in the northern hemisphere North Pole deflected outward. you get more sunlight in summer, so it is warmer, and smaller in winter.

Mercury does not experience any seasons. Due to the fact that it has almost no axial tilt. Of course, it doesn't have much of an atmosphere to keep the sun warm. Any side facing the Sun heats up to 700 Kelvin, while the side away from the Sun has temperatures below 100 Kelvin.

Axial tilt of Mercury: 2.11°.

Mercury- the first planet solar system: description, size, mass, orbit around the Sun, distance, characteristics, interesting facts, history of study.

Mercury- the first planet from the Sun and the smallest planet in the solar system. This is one of the most extreme worlds. It got its name in honor of the messenger of the Roman gods. It can be found without the use of instruments, which is why Mercury has been noted in many cultures and myths.

However, it is also a very mysterious object. Mercury can be observed in the morning and evening in the sky, and the planet itself has its own phases.

Interesting facts about the planet Mercury

Let's find out more interesting facts about the planet Mercury.

A year on Mercury is only 88 days long.

One solar day (the interval between noons) spans 176 days, and a sidereal day (axial rotation) spans 59 days. Mercury is endowed with the largest orbital eccentricity, and the distance from the Sun is 46-70 million km.

This is smallest planet in system

Mercury is one of the five planets that can be found without the use of tools. At the equator, it extends for 4879 km.

Ranks second in density

Each cm 3 is endowed with an indicator of 5.4 grams. But the Earth comes first, because Mercury is represented by heavy metals and rocks.

There are wrinkles

As the iron planetary core cooled and contracted, the surface layer became wrinkled. They are capable of stretching for hundreds of miles.

There is a molten core

Researchers believe that the iron core of Mercury is able to stay in a molten state. Usually in small planets, it quickly loses heat. But now they think that it contains sulfur, which lowers the melting point. The core covers 42% of the planetary volume.

Second in hotness

Although Venus lives further, its surface stably holds the highest surface temperature due to greenhouse effect. The day side of Mercury warms up to 427°C, and the nighttime temperature drops to -173°C. The planet is devoid of an atmospheric layer, therefore it is not able to provide a uniform distribution of heat.

most cratered planet

Geological processes help planets renew their surface layer and smooth out crater scars. But Mercury is deprived of such an opportunity. All of its craters are named after artists, writers and musicians. Impact formations exceeding 250 km in diameter are called basins. The largest is the Zhara Plain, stretching for 1550 km.

It was visited by only two devices

Mercury is too close to the Sun. Mariner 10 circled it three times in 1974-1975, displaying slightly less than half of the surface. In 2004 MESSENGER went there.

The name was given in honor of the messenger from the Roman divine pantheon

The exact date of the discovery of the planet is unknown, because the Sumerians wrote about it in 3000 BC.

There's an atmosphere (it seems)

Gravity is only 38% of Earth's, but this is not enough to keep a stable atmosphere (collapses solar winds). The gas comes out, but it is replenished by solar particles and dust.

Size, mass and orbit of the planet Mercury

With a radius of 2440 km and a mass of 3.3022 x 10 23 kg, Mercury considered the smallest planet in the solar system. In size, it reaches only 0.38 of the earth. It is also inferior in parameters to some satellites, but in terms of density it is in second place after the Earth - 5.427 g / cm 3. The bottom photo shows a comparison of the sizes of Mercury and the Earth.

This is the owner of the most eccentric orbit. The distance of Mercury from the Sun can vary from 46 million km (perihelion) to 70 million km (aphelion). From this, the nearest planets can also change. The average orbital velocity is -47322 km/s, so it takes 87.969 days to complete the orbital path. Below is a table of characteristics of the planet Mercury.

Physical characteristics of Mercury

Equatorial radius	2439.7 km
Polar radius	2439.7 km
Medium radius	2439.7 km
Great circle circumference	15,329.1 km
Surface area	7.48 10 7 km² 0.147 Earth
Volume	6.083 10 10 km³ 0.056 Earth
Weight	3.33 10 23 kg 0.055 Earth
Average density	5.427 g/cm³ 0.984 Earth
Acceleration free fall at the equator	3.7 m/s² 0.377g
first cosmic speed	3.1 km/s
Second space velocity	4.25 km/s
equatorial speed rotation	10.892 km/h
Rotation period	58,646 days
Axis Tilt	2.11' ± 0.1'
right ascension north pole	18 h 44 min 2 s 281.01°
declination of the north pole	61.45°
Albedo	0.142 (Bond) 0.068 (geom.)
Apparent magnitude	from −2.6 m to 5.7 m
Angular diameter	4,5" – 13"

The rotation speed of the axis is 10.892 km/h, so a day on Mercury lasts 58.646 days. This indicates that the planet is in a 3:2 resonance (3 axial rotation on 2 orbital).

The eccentricity and slowness of rotation lead to the fact that the planet spends 176 days to return to its original point. So one day on the planet is twice as long as a year. It is also the owner of the lowest axial tilt - 0.027 degrees.

The composition and surface of the planet Mercury

Composition of Mercury 70% metal and 30% silicate materials. It is believed that its core covers approximately 42% of the total volume of the planet (earth - 17%). Inside there is a core of molten iron, around which a silicate layer is concentrated (500-700 km). The surface layer is a crust with a thickness of 100-300 km. On the surface you can see great amount ridges that stretch for miles.

Compared to other planets in the solar system, the core of Mercury has the largest amount of iron. It is believed that earlier Mercury was much larger. But due to impact with a large object, the outer layers collapsed, leaving the main body.

Some believe that the planet could have appeared in the protoplanetary disk before solar energy became stable. Then it should be twice as massive state of the art. When heated to 25000-35000 K, most of the rock could simply evaporate. Study the structure of Mercury in the photo.

There is one more assumption. The solar nebula could lead to an increase in the particles that pounced on the planet. Then the lighter ones departed and were not used in the creation of Mercury.

When viewed from afar, the planet resembles earth satellite. The same crater landscape with plains and traces of lava flows. But there is a greater variety of elements here.

Mercury formed 4.6 billion years ago and came under fire whole army asteroids and debris. There was no atmosphere, so the impacts left noticeable traces. But the planet remained active, so the lava flows created the plains.

Craters range in size from small pits to basins hundreds of kilometers wide. The largest is Kaloris (Zhara Plain) with a diameter of 1550 km. The impact was so strong that it led to a lava eruption on the opposite planetary side. And the crater itself is surrounded by a concentric ring 2 km high. Approximately 15 large crater formations can be found on the surface. Take a close look at the diagram of Mercury's magnetic field.

The planet has a global magnetic field, reaching 1.1% of the earth's strength. It is possible that the source is a dynamo, reminiscent of our Earth. It is formed due to the rotation of a liquid core filled with iron.

This field is enough to resist stellar winds and form the magnetospheric layer. Its strength is enough to keep the plasma from the wind, which causes surface weathering.

Atmosphere and temperature of the planet Mercury

Due to its proximity to the Sun, the planet warms up too much, so it is not able to save the atmosphere. But scientists noted a thin layer of variable exosphere, represented by hydrogen, oxygen, helium, sodium, water vapor and potassium. General level pressure approaches 10-14 bar.

No atmospheric layer solar heat does not accumulate, therefore, serious temperature fluctuations are noted on Mercury: on the sunny side - 427 ° C, and on the dark side it drops to -173 ° C.

However, the surface contains water ice and organic molecules. The fact is that the pole craters differ in depth and straight lines do not fall there. Sun rays. It is believed that 10 14 - 10 15 kg of ice can be found at the bottom. While there is no exact data on where the ice came from on the planet, but it may be a gift from fallen comets or it is due to degassing of water from the inner planetary part.

The history of the study of the planet Mercury

The description of Mercury is not complete without a history of research. This planet is available for observation without the use of instruments, therefore it appears in myths and ancient legends. The first records were found in the Mul Apin tablet, which is an astronomical and astrological Babylonian record.

These observations were made in the 14th century BC. and talk about the "dancing planet" because Mercury moves the fastest. AT Ancient Greece he was called Stilbon (translated as "shine"). It was the messenger of Olympus. Then the Romans adopted this idea and gave the modern name in honor of their pantheon.

Ptolemy mentioned several times in his writings that the planets are capable of passing in front of the Sun. But he did not write down Mercury and Venus as examples, because he considered them too small and inconspicuous.

The Chinese called him Chen Xin ("Hour Star") and associated with water and a northern orientation. Moreover, in Asian culture, such an idea of \u200b\u200bthe planet is still preserved, which is even recorded as the 5th element.

For the Germanic tribes, there was a connection with the god Odin. Maya saw four owls, two of which were responsible for the morning, and the other two for the evening.

One of the Islamic astronomers wrote about the geocentric orbital path back in the 11th century. In the 12th century, Ibn Bajya noted the transit of two tiny dark bodies in front of the Sun. Most likely he saw Venus and Mercury.

The Indian astronomer of Kerala Somayaji in the 15th century created a partial heliocentric model, where Mercury made revolutions around the Sun.

The first view through a telescope falls on the 17th century. This was done by Galileo Galilei. He then carefully studied the phases of Venus. But his apparatus did not have enough power, so Mercury was left without attention. But the transit was noted by Pierre Gassendi in 1631.

Orbital phases were noticed by Giovanni Zupi in 1639. It was important observation, because it confirmed the rotation around the star and the correctness of the heliocentric model.

More accurate observations in the 1880s. provided by Giovanni Schiaparelli. He believed that the orbital journey takes 88 days. In 1934, Eugios Antoniadi created a detailed map of the surface of Mercury.

The first radar signal was beaten off by Soviet scientists in 1962. Three years later, the Americans repeated the experiment and fixed the axial rotation in 59 days. Ordinary optical observations failed to provide new information, but interferometers discovered chemical and physical characteristics subsurface layers.

First deep learning surface features conducted in 2000 by the Mount Wilson Observatory. Most maps were made using the Arecibo radar telescope, where the expansion reaches 5 km.

Exploration of the planet Mercury

Until the first flight unmanned aerial vehicles we didn't know much about morphological characteristics. Mariner was the first to go to Mercury in 1974-1975. He approached three times and took a series of large-scale photos.

But the device had a long orbital period, so at each approach it approached the same side. So the map was only 45% of the total area.

At the first approach, it was possible to fix the magnetic field. Subsequent approaches have shown that it strongly resembles Earth, deflecting stellar winds.

In 1975 the craft ran out of fuel and we lost contact. However, Mariner 10 can still orbit the Sun and visit Mercury.

The second envoy was MESSENGER. He had to understand density, magnetic field, geology, core structure and atmospheric features. For this, special cameras were installed, guaranteeing higher resolution, and spectrometers marked constituent elements.

MESSENGER launched in 2004 and has completed three overflights since 2008, compensating for lost territory by Mariner 10. In 2011, he switched to an elliptical planetary orbit and began to take pictures of the surface.

After that, the next year-long mission started. The last maneuver took place on April 24, 2015. After that, the fuel ran out, and on April 30 the satellite crashed on the surface.

In 2016, ESA and JAXA teamed up to create BepiColombo, which should reach the planet in 2024. It has two probes that will study the magnetosphere as well as the surface in all wavelengths.

Expanded Image of Mercury Created from Images from MESSENGER Cameras

Mercury - interesting planet torn apart by extremes and contradictions. It has a molten surface and ice, no atmosphere, but there is a magnetosphere. We hope that future technologies will reveal more intriguing details. Be sure to check out what it looks like modern map surface of Mercury in high resolution.

What is the mass of Mercury and its distinctive features? Learn more about it…

Planet Features

Mercury begins the countdown of the planets of the solar system. The distance from the Sun to Mercury is 57.91 million km. It is quite close, so the temperature on the surface of the planet reaches 430 degrees.

In some ways, Mercury is similar to the Moon. It has no satellites, the atmosphere is very rarefied, and the surface is indented with craters. The largest one is 1550 km wide from an asteroid that crashed into the planet about 4 billion years ago.

The rarefied atmosphere does not allow heat to be retained, so Mercury is very cold at night. The difference in night and day temperatures reaches 600 degrees and is the largest in our planetary system.

The mass of Mercury is 3.33 10 23 kg. This indicator makes the planet the lightest and smallest (after depriving Pluto of the title of the planet) in our system. The mass of Mercury is 0.055 of the Earth's. For not much more, the average radius is 2439.7 km.

The interior of Mercury contains a large number of metals that form its core. It is the second densest planet after Earth. The core makes up about 80% of Mercury.

Mercury observations

The planet is known to us under the name Mercury - this is the name of the Roman messenger god. The planet was observed as early as the 14th century BC. The Sumerians called Mercury in astrological tables the "leaping planet". It was later named after the god of writing and wisdom, "Naboo".

The Greeks gave the planet a name in honor of Hermes, calling it "Hermaon". The Chinese called it " morning star”, the Indians - Budha, the Germans identified with Odin, and the Mayans - with an owl.

Before the invention of the telescope, it was difficult for European explorers to observe Mercury. For example, Nicolaus Copernicus, describing the planet, used the observations of other scientists, not from northern latitudes.

The invention of the telescope made life easier for astronomers and researchers. Mercury was first observed by Galileo Galilei from a telescope in the 17th century. After him, the planet was observed by: Giovanni Zupi, John Bevis, Johann Schroeter, Giuseppe Colombo and others.

The proximity to the Sun and the infrequent appearance in the sky has always created difficulties for the study of Mercury. For example, the famous Hubble telescope cannot recognize objects so close to our star.

In the 20th century, radar methods began to be used to study the planet, which made it possible to observe the object from the Earth. spacecraft sending to the planet is not easy. This requires special manipulations, which consume a lot of fuel. In the entire history, only two ships have visited Mercury: Mariner 10 in 1975 and Messenger in 2008.

Mercury in the night sky

The apparent magnitude of the planet is from -1.9 m to 5.5 m, which is quite enough to see it from the Earth. However, it is not easy to see it because of the small angular distance with respect to the Sun.

The planet is visible for a short time after dusk. At low latitudes and near the equator, the day lasts the shortest, so it is easier to see Mercury in these places. The higher the latitude, the more difficult it is to observe the planet.

In mid-latitudes, you can “catch” Mercury in the sky during the equinox, when twilight is the shortest. You can see it several times a year, both in the early morning and in the evening, during periods when it is at its maximum distance from the Sun.

Conclusion

Mercury is itself The mass of Mercury is the smallest of the planets in our system. The planet was observed long before the beginning of our era, however, to see Mercury, certain conditions are needed. Therefore, it is the least studied of all the terrestrial planets.