Mercury | Facts, Color, Size, & Symbol | Britannica

Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system, and it is also the planet closest to the Sun, making it the most difficult of the planets to see with the unaided eye. Because its rising or setting is always within about two hours of the Sun''s, Mercury is never observable when the sky is fully dark.

Which planet is closest to the Sun?

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. It''s orbit is very eccentric (i.e. non-circular) and Mercury comes to within 46 million km from the Sun at it''s closest point and 69.8 million km at it''s furthest point. Click Here To See Where Mercury Is Now. It''s very approximately 1/3 of the distance away from the Sun as the Earth is, and 1/2 the

Mercury | National Air and Space Museum

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. It is known as the Swift Planet because of how fast it travels through space—a whopping 29 miles per second (47 kilometers per second). Because it is the fastest planet in our Solar System, and the closest to the Sun—and therefore the shortest orbital path—it also has the shortest year of any

Mercury Is No Longer The Closest Astronomical Body To The Sun

The Sun''s new nearest neighbor has been revealed. Astronomers using a new telescope in Chile have found the fastest-orbiting asteroid so far—and it gets closer to the Sun than even the planet

9.5: Mercury

Mercury is the nearest planet to the Sun, and, in accordance with Kepler''s third law, it has the shortest period of revolution about the Sun (88 of our days) and the highest average orbital speed (48 kilometers per second). It is appropriately named for the fleet-footed messenger god of the Romans. Because Mercury remains close to the Sun, it

Mercury (planet)

Mercury is the first planet from the Sun and the smallest in the Solar System English, it is named after the ancient Roman god Mercurius (), god of commerce and communication, and the messenger of the gods.Mercury is classified as a terrestrial planet, with roughly the same surface gravity as Mars.The surface of Mercury is heavily cratered, as a result of countless impact

All About the Sun | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids

In our solar system, the closest planet to the Sun is Mercury. Our Sun''s closest star neighbor is called Proxima Centauri. It is approximately 4 light-years away. What does the Sun look like? First of all, you should never look directly at the Sun without very special protective eyewear. But NASA has many great pictures of the Sun for you to

Mercury: Planet Closest to the Sun

Mercury: Planet Closest to the Sun. Back to search page Audience. Students. Grade Levels. Grades K-4, Grades 5-8. Subject. Space Science, Solar System and Planets, Mercury. Type. Websites. Learn about Mercury, the planet named after the

Our Solar System

Our solar system is made up of a star—the Sun—eight planets, 146 moons, a bunch of comets, asteroids and space rocks, ice, and several dwarf planets, such as Pluto. The eight planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Mercury is closest to the Sun. Neptune is the farthest.

The Planets in Order of Distance, Size, Mass & More

Mercury is the first planet in our solar system. It is the closest planet to the Sun, located at an average distance of 36 million miles (58 million kilometres) from our star cause this small planet is so close to the Sun''s

Mercury (planet)

OverviewOrbit, rotation, and longitudeNomenclaturePhysical characteristicsObservationObservation historySee alsoExternal links

Mercury has the most eccentric orbit of all the planets in the Solar System; its eccentricity is 0.21 with its distance from the Sun ranging from 46,000,000 to 70,000,000 km (29,000,000 to 43,000,000 mi). It takes 87.969 Earth days to complete an orbit. The diagram illustrates the effects of the eccentricity, showing Mercury''s orbit overlaid with a circular orbit having the same semi-major axis.

What''s The Closest Planet To The Sun?

Which Planet Is Closest To The Sun? So, as most people will likely already know, Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. Being at a distance of only 36 million miles (57.9 million km), it is about half the distance as the next planet out. This planet is, of course, Venus. Venus orbits at around 67 million miles (108 million km) from the sun.

Mercury Facts

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and due to its proximity it is not easily seen except during twilight. For every two orbits of the Sun, Mercury completes three rotations about its axis and up until 1965 it was thought that the same side of Mercury constantly faced the Sun. Thirteen times a century Mercury can be observed from the Earth passing across the face of the Sun in an

Facts About Mercury, the Closest Planet to the Sun

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. Mercury''s day (the length of time it takes to orbit the Sun) is 88 Earth days. Temperatures range from well below zero on the surface to nearly 800F on the sunlit side of the planet. There are deposits of ice at the poles of Mercury, in places where sunlight is never seen.

In Depth | Mercury – NASA Solar System Exploration

Mercury formed about 4.5 billion years ago when gravity pulled swirling gas and dust together to form this small planet nearest the Sun. Like its fellow terrestrial planets, Mercury has a central core, a rocky mantle, and a solid crust. Structure. Structure. Mercury is the second densest planet, after Earth.

Mercury: the closest planet to the Sun

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun in our solar system and the smallest of the eight major planets.. It has a diameter of about 4,880 kilometers, making it only slightly larger than our Moon. Due to its small mass, its surface gravity is only 38% of Earth''s gravity.

Mercury Planet Facts

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest planet in the Solar System gets its name for the Roman god Mercury, who was the swift messenger of the gods. It''s an apt name, since Mercury is also the fastest planet, orbiting the Sun in just 88 days.

The Planets in Order of Distance, Size, Mass & More

Mercury is the first planet in our solar system. It is the closest planet to the Sun, located at an average distance of 36 million miles (58 million kilometres) from our star cause this small planet is so close to the Sun''s harmful solar winds, it

Mercury – 1st planet from sun, smallest planet, structure, geography

Mercury is the closest planet to our sun, sitting roughly at 57.9 million km (36 million miles), and is approximately 77 million km (48 million miles) from Earth s nearness to the sun makes it very difficult to study because of the intense gravitational pull of the sun as you near Mercury.

Solar system planets, order and formation — a guide | Space

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun and the smallest planet in the solar system — it is only a little larger than Earth''s moon. Mercury zips around the sun in only 88 days and because it is