Here are some characteristics of Mercury: Mercury is the first planet in the Solar System, and orbits the

closest of all the planets to the Sun. In fact, Mercury orbits at an average distance of 57.9 million km and takes just 88 days to complete one orbit around the Sun. One interesting thing about Mercurys motion, though is that a day on Mercury lasts 58.6 days, so a day on Mercury is almost as long as its year. And some more Mercury characteristics Mercury is the smallest planet in the Solar System (now that Pluto isnt a planet any more). It measures only 4,879 km across; just for comparison, thats 38% the size of the Earth. You could fit 18.5 Mercurys inside Earth. You might think that Mercury is the hottest planet in the Solar System, with daytime temperatures rising to 700 Kelvin (427 degrees C). But Mercury has no atmosphere, so at night, temperatures on the planet dip down to a mere 100 Kelvin (-173 degrees C). Venus is actually the hottest planet, with an average temperature of 735 Kelvin (462 degrees C). Mercury is the second densest planet in the Solar System, with a large core of liquid metal. In fact, Mercurys core occupies 42% of its volume; the Earths core is only 17%. The surface of Mercury has been pounded by meteor impacts, large and small. In fact, one of the largest craters in the Solar System, the Caloris Basin, is on Mercury. This gigantic crater measures 1,550 km across, and was formed billions of years ago when there were many asteroids left over from the formation of the Solar System. Mercury has been visited by two spacecraft so far. The first spacecraft to arrive at Mercury was NASAs Mariner 10, which made its first flyby in March, 1974. It eventually made 3 close approaches to Mercury, getting within 327 km of the planets surface. NASAs MESSENGER spacecraft was launched in August 2004, and made two Mercury flybys in 2008. Its scheduled to go into orbit around Mercury in 2011. We have written many stories about Mercury here on Universe Today. Heres an article about a the discovery that Mercurys core is liquid. And how Mercury is actually less like the Moon than previously believed. Want more information on Mercury? Heres a link to NASAs MESSENGER Misson Page, and heres NASAs Solar System Exploration Guide to Mercury. Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System,[a] orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits. The perihelion of Mercury's orbit precesses around the Sun at an excess of 43 arcseconds per century, a phenomenon that was explained in the 20th century by Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity.[12] Mercury is bright when viewed from Earth, ranging from 2.3 to 5.7 in apparent magnitude, but is not easily seen as its greatest angular separation from the Sun is only 28.3. Since Mercury is normally lost in the glare of the Sun, unless there is a solar eclipse it can be viewed only for short intervals before sunrise when it is near its maximum western elongation, or after sunset when near its maximum eastern elongation. At relatively high latitudes such as those of many European and North American population centres, it is even then near the horizon and obscured in a relatively bright twilit sky. However, at tropical and subtropical latitudes, Mercury is more easily seen because of two effects. (i) the Sun ascends above the horizon more steeply at sunrise and descends more steeply at sunset, so the twilight

period is shorter, and (ii) at the right times of year, the Ecliptic intersects the horizon at a very steep angle, meaning that Mercury can be relatively high (altitude up to 28) in a fully dark sky. Such conditions can pertain, for instance, after sunset near the Spring Equinox, in March/April for the southern USA and in September/October for South Africa and Australasia. Conversely, pre-sunrise viewing is easiest near the Autumn Equinox. Comparatively little is known about Mercury; ground-based telescopes reveal only an illuminated crescent with limited detail. The first of two spacecraft to visit the planet was Mariner 10, which mapped about 45% of its surface from 1974 to 1975. The second is the MESSENGER spacecraft, which attained orbit around Mercury on March 17, 2011,[13] to map the rest of the planet.[14] Mercury is similar in appearance to the Moon: it is heavily cratered with regions of smooth plains, has no natural satellites and no substantial atmosphere. Unlike the Moon, it has a large iron core, which generates a magnetic field about 1% as strong as that of the Earth.[15] It is an exceptionally dense planet due to the large relative size of its core. Surface temperatures range from about 90 to 700 K (183 C to 427 C),[16] with the subsolar point being the hottest and the bottoms of craters near the poles being the coldest. Recorded observations of Mercury date back to at least the first millennium BC. Before the 4th century BC, Greek astronomers believed the planet to be two separate objects: one visible only at sunrise, which they called Apollo; the other visible only at sunset, which they called Hermes.[17] The English name for the planet comes from the Romans, who named it after the Roman god Mercury, which they equated with the Greek Hermes (). The astronomical symbol for Mercury is a stylized version of Hermes' caduceus.[18] Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System,[a] orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits. The perihelion of Mercury's orbit precesses around the Sun at an excess of 43 arcseconds per century, a phenomenon that was explained in the 20th century by Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity.[12] Mercury is bright when viewed from Earth, ranging from 2.3 to 5.7 in apparent magnitude, but is not easily seen as its greatest angular separation from the Sun is only 28.3. Since Mercury is normally lost in the glare of the Sun, unless there is a solar eclipse it can be viewed only for short intervals before sunrise when it is near its maximum western elongation, or after sunset when near its maximum eastern elongation. At relatively high latitudes such as those of many European and North American population centres, it is even then near the horizon and obscured in a relatively bright twilit sky. However, at tropical and subtropical latitudes, Mercury is more easily seen because of two effects. (i) the Sun ascends above the horizon more steeply at sunrise and descends more steeply at sunset, so the twilight period is shorter, and (ii) at the right times of year, the Ecliptic intersects the horizon at a very steep angle, meaning that Mercury can be relatively high (altitude up to 28) in a fully dark sky. Such conditions can pertain, for instance, after sunset near the Spring Equinox, in March/April for the southern USA and in September/October for South Africa and Australasia. Conversely, pre-sunrise viewing is easiest near the Autumn Equinox. Comparatively little is known about Mercury; ground-based telescopes reveal only an illuminated crescent with limited detail. The first of two spacecraft to visit the planet was Mariner 10, which mapped about 45% of its surface from 1974 to 1975. The second is the MESSENGER spacecraft, which attained orbit around Mercury on March 17, 2011,[13] to map the rest of the planet.[14]

Mercury is similar in appearance to the Moon: it is heavily cratered with regions of smooth plains, has no natural satellites and no substantial atmosphere. Unlike the Moon, it has a large iron core, which generates a magnetic field about 1% as strong as that of the Earth.[15] It is an exceptionally dense planet due to the large relative size of its core. Surface temperatures range from about 90 to 700 K (183 C to 427 C),[16] with the subsolar point being the hottest and the bottoms of craters near the poles being the coldest. Recorded observations of Mercury date back to at least the first millennium BC. Before the 4th century BC, Greek astronomers believed the planet to be two separate objects: one visible only at sunrise, which they called Apollo; the other visible only at sunset, which they called Hermes.[17] The English name for the planet comes from the Romans, who named it after the Roman god Mercury, which they equated with the Greek Hermes (). The astronomical symbol for Mercury is a stylized version of Hermes' caduceus.[18]

Mercury

MESSENGER false-color image of Mercury

Designations Pronunciation Adjective /mrkjri/ Mercurian, Mercurial[1]

i

Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch J2000

Aphelion

69,816,900 km 0.466 697 AU 46,001,200 km 0.307 499 AU

Perihelion

Semi-major axis Eccentricity

57,909,100 km 0.387 098 AU

0.205 630[3] 87.969 1 d (0.240 846 a) 0.5 Mercury solar day

Orbital period

Synodic period 115.88 d[3] Average 47.87 km/s[3] orbital speed Mean anomaly 174.796 Inclination Longitude of 48.331 ascending node Argument of 29.124 perihelion Satellites None Physical characteristics Mean radius Flattening Surface area 0[6] 7.48107 km2[5] 0.147 Earths 6.0831010 km3[5] 0.056 Earths 3.30221023 kg[5] 0.055 Earths 2,439.7 1.0 km[5][6] 0.3829 Earths 7.005 to Ecliptic 3.38 to Suns equator 6.34 to Invariable plane[4]

Volume

Mass Mean density Equatorial surface gravity

5.427 g/cm3[5] 3.7 m/s2 0.38 g[5]

Escape velocity 4.25 km/s[5] Sidereal rotation 58.646 day period

1407.5 h[5]

Equatorial 10.892 km/h (3.026 m/s) rotation velocity Axial tilt 2.11 0.1[7] North pole right ascension North pole declination Albedo Surface temp. 0N, 0W [11] 85N, 0W[11] Apparent magnitude Angular diameter 18 h 44 min 2 s 281.01[3]

61.45[3] 0.068 (Bond)[8] 0.142 (geom.)[8]

min 100 K 80 K

mean 340 K 200 K

Max 700 K 380 K

2.6[9] to 5.7[3][10] 4.5" 13"[3]

Atmosphere[3] Surface pressure Trace Composition 42% Molecular oxygen 29.0% sodium 22.0% hydrogen 6.0% helium 0.5% potassium Trace amounts of argon, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, xenon, krypton and neon

Characteristics of Mercury Mercury is a naturally occurring metallic element noted for its occurrence as a liquid at room temperature. Elemental mercury is a heavy, silver-white liquid metal that can be found at trace levels in many minerals with greater concentrations in fossil fuels. There are three forms of mercury in the environment: elemental, inorganic, and organic mercury. All forms of mercury are toxic.

www.epa.state.oh.us/opp/ pq/fall98/merc498.html

Elemental mercury occurs naturally in three valence states: elemental (Hg0), monovalentmercurous (Hg1+), and the divalent mercuric (Hg2+). Elemental mercury is the most stable form and is only slightly water-soluble. Both mercuric and mercurous mercury are thermally unstable and readily decompose to elemental mercury. Vapors of elemental mercury can occur at room temperature presenting a hazard if spills occur. Inorganic mercury compounds contain ionic mercury usually in a salt formation (e.g. mercuric chloride). Many inorganic mercury compounds have been banned from use by the EPA in consumer products and agriculture. Inorganic mercury compounds continue to be used globally as disinfectants and pesticides. Organic mercury compounds can be chemically synthesized or biologically converted from mercury compounds by bacteria (e.g. methyl mercury). Chemically synthesized organic compounds have been used as fungicides. Some organic mercury compounds are water-soluble and cable of transport in the aquatic food chain through the process of bioaccumulation. The surface of Mercury is similar to the moons. Most of the craters peppering Mercury's surface were caused 3.7 or 4.5 billion years ago. The Great Bombardment was the time when craters were left on Mercury, earth's moon, and other surfaces in the universe. The craters on Mercury are flatter and have thinner rims than the ones on Earth. Bach and Mozart are examples of crater names.

Caloris Basin
The Caloris Basin is the largest crater on Mercury. Its diameter is around 800 miles. Surrounding the Basin are the Caloris Mountains. These mountains were formed by piles of material were thrown out of the Basin.

Weird Terrain
The weird terrain is almost opposite Caloris Basin. It consists of hills, ridges and grooves that cut across craters. The weird terrain my have been formed by shock waves that raced through the center of the planet and outward early in Mercury's history.

Scarps
A series of cliffs that are 100's of miles long run along Mercury's surface. These cliffs are called 'scarps'. The scarps were also probably formed early in the planets history. The surface is covered in a thin layer of dust in most areas.

Craters
Young craters have sharp rims and bright rays extending outward. Others are degraded, with rims smoothed from crashing meteorites.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_some_characteristics_of_the_planet_Mercury#ixzz1n7Dg LFQ8 Physical Characteristics of Mercury Mercury Temperature Mercury has a mean surface temperature of 452 K, but it ranges from 90-700 K; The sunlight on Mercury's surface is 6.5 times as strong as it is on Earth, with the solar constant having a value of 9.13 kW/m. Terrain For a period of about 800 million years Mercury, was heavily bombarded by comets and asteroids. At this period of powerful crater formation, the surface established impacts above its intact surface, facilitated by the lack of any atmosphere to slow impactors down. At this time, the planet was volcanically active, and basins such as the Caloris Basin were filled by magma from within the planet, which produced smooth plains similar to the maria found on the moon. Apart from craters of diameters in the range of hundreds of meters to hundreds of kilometers, there are others of massive proportions such as Caloris, the largest structure on the surface of Mercury with a diameter of 1,300 km. The impact was so powerful that it caused lava eruptions on the crust of the planet and left a concentric ring surrounding the impact crater over 2 km high. The consequences of Caloris are also remarkable: it is broadly acknowledged as the cause for the fractures and leaks on the opposite side of the planet. The plains of Mercury have two different ages; the younger plains are less a lot cratered and probably formed when lava flows obscured earlier terrain. One remarkable feature of the planet's surface is the abundant compression folds which criss-cross the plains. It is initiative that as the planet's interior cooled, it contracted, and its surface began to collapse. The folds can be seen on top of other features, such as the craters and smoother plains, indicating that they are more recent. Mercury's surface is also flexed by considerable tidal bulges, raised by the Sun. Being the planet closest to the Sun, Mercury (the Messenger of the gods) guards its secrets very carefully. With a mean heliocentric distance of just 0.387 AU (about 57.8 million km) and a orbit time of just under 88 days, it is not very easy to observe from Earth and never appears more than 27 from the Sun (less than the angle made by the hands of a watch at 1 o'clock). Observing Mercury

The main problem with observing Mercury from groundbased telescopes is that because it never strays far from the Sun, it can only be observed during the day, when scattered sunlight impedes clear views of the planet, or just before sunrise and after sunset, when the light we recieve from it must pass through 10 times as much atmospheric turbulence as when it is directly overhead. Unfortunately this means that even the best ground based telescopes get a worse view of it than humans can get of the moon with the naked eye each night.

Mosaic of Mercury Credit: NASA/JpL

This has obviously proved an obstacle to finding out much about Mercury, and as such, for a long time we knew very little more about Mercury, one of our closest neighbours, even as we were studying other planets much further away in far greater detail. This state of affairs is rapidly changing however thanks to missions to Mercury such as NASA's MESSENGER space probe which in 2011 became the first space probe to enter into orbit around Mercury. Up to that point, most of our knowledge, and pictures, of Mercury came courtesy of the Mariner 10 spacecraft, which mapped 40% of the planet over 3 fly-bys in the mid 1970s, though it wasn't until 2010 that Messenger was able to map Mercury's previously unseen dark side in its fly-bys. Even the Hubble Space Telescope cannot look directly at Mercury, in case Solar rays damage its sensitive instruments. Some Key Characteristics... Mercury is a pretty small planet with a diameter of only 4880 km - about one third the size of the planet Earth. Mercury has a big Iron core which makes up 75% of the whole planet's diameter, and which recent observations carried out in 2007 have shown may in fact be liquid. This core is surrounded by a rocky mantle and crust about 600km thick. Mercury's outer surface is quite cratered and, like the moon, is covered in fine soil. It also has an elliptical orbit which, although not as elliptical as Pluto's, is very marked, as the closest it gets to the Sun (its perihelion) is 46 million km while the furthest it ever gets (its aphelion) is 70 million km. The first astronomers observing Mercury concluded that its Sideview of Mercury rotational period, like its orbit period was 88 days and so one Credit: NASA/JpL/NWUniv. side was permenantly facing away from the Sun. However studies in 1962-64 later revealed that Mercury has a rotational period of 58.6 days, meaning the planet's spin and orbit are locked in a repetitive 3:2 cycle, so it rotates exactly 3 times in 2 years. Mercury is home to some of the hottest and coldest spots in the

solar system - it's 'hot poles' can reach temperatures of up to 740K (about 467C) and yet, due to the planet's slow rotation, temperatures on the side which the Sun doesn't shine on for months at a time can reach a chilling 90K (about -183C). Mercury is the only solid planet other than Earth known to have a magnetic field, and whilst it is only about 1% the strength of the Earth's magnetic field, it is nonetheless surprisingly strong for such a small planet. This feature is explained by the presence of the large Iron core at the planet's centre. Merury doesn't have an atmosphere because it is so close to the Sun, though its surface is surrounded by a thin layer of particles created in collisions between the Solar Wind and the planet's surface - a quasi-atmosphere known as an exosphere. In size, Mercury is about intermediate between the Earth and its Moon. High Density Mercury has a high mean density of 5.43g/cm3, which is quite similar to those of the Earth (5.5) and Venus (5.2). However whilst the latter two planets are relatively large and and so have enough overlying mass to compress their interiors, this is not the case with Mercury and so its density can only be explained by the presence of a greater proportion of heavy elements. The planet's composition is roughly 70% Iron (with some Nickel) and 30% Silicate material, with the majority of this Iron believed to be housed, as discussed above, in a large possibly liquid core which extends to around 75% of Mercury's radius. Observations carried out in the early 1990s also discovered small quantities of water ice to be present on Mercury, housed in permanently shady areas inside craters around the planet's poles. This water probably arrived there from comet or meteorite collisions. Since Mercury is so much closer to the Sun than we are, in the Mercurian sky the Sun appears three times as big as from here on Earth. If you want to see Mercury from Earth, it's faintly visible flashing for a short while just before sunrise and just after sunset. The biggest basin on Mercury, the Caloris Basin was formed when an asteroid 100 km wide travelling at 512,000 km/hour crashed into Mercury. The impact was so great that it sent an almost instant shockwave throughout the planet, creating the hilly, lineated terrain it has today. Brief History:Mercury was first spotted in 1610 by the great Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei. It wasn't until 1639, however, that another Italian astronomer, Giovanni Zupus discovered that it circled the Sun. Then between 1881 and 1889 Giovanni Schiaparelli made the first map of Mercury's surface features. Much later, in 1968, Surveyor 7 took the first spacecraft picture of Mercury from the Moon and in 1974-75 the Mariner 10 space probe paid Mercury a visit. Over 3 decades later, the MESSENGER space probe paid Mercury a long overdue visit in 2008, and will be orbiting and studying the planet in detail from 2011 onwards.