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Mercury

Reference > Science > The Solar System
 
  • Mercury was named after the Roman mythological messenger god. Very appropriately named, since a messenger must be swift, and Mercury is the fastest of all the planets.
  • Mercury is also the closest to the sun.
  • Mercury has two other superlatives that it "won" at the expense of Pluto. Before it was demoted to the status of Dwarf Planet, Pluto was the smallest and the most eccentric of the planets. Now Mercury has both of those bragging rights. (Eccentric means that it has a very stretched out orbit.)
  • Though it is closest to the sun, Mercury is notthe hottest of the planets. On its daylight side, temperatures get up to 800 degrees Farenheit, but on the night side, they plummet to 300 degrees below zero.
  • Considering its extreme heat during the daytime, it seems unlikely that Mercury would have any ice. However, it is believed that ice exists in the depths of craters at Mercury's poles. After all, sunlight never makes it to the bottoms of those craters!

Questions

1.
Why does it make sense for Mercury to be named after the Roman messenger god?
2.
What does an eccentric orbit look like?
3.
What is the difference between the daytime and nighttime temperatures on Mercury?
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