Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system and the closest planet to the Sun. Mercury's neighbor planet is Venus.
From the surface of Mercury, the Sun will appear more than three times as large as seen from Earth, and here the sunlight will be seven times as bright.
Despite Mercury's proximity to the Sun, it is not the hottest planet in our solar system. Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system.
Mercury is the fastest planet in our solar system. It travels around the Sun at a speed of about 29 miles (47 kilometers) per second.
Mercury completes one orbit around the Sun in about 88 days. It takes 3.2 minutes for sunlight to travel from the Sun to Mercury.
How far is Mercury from the Sun
The radius of the planet Mercury is 2,439.7 km. The distance of Mercury from the Sun is 36 million miles (58 million kilometers).
Mercury rotates on its axis more slowly than Earth, so Mercury has a longer day. It takes 59 Earth days for Mercury to make one complete revolution on its axis.
Mercury's solar day (one complete day-night cycle) is equal to 176 Earth days. Mercury has no moon. There is no ring around Mercury.
Mercury planet TemperatureDaytime temperatures on Mercury can reach highs of 800°F (430°C). Temperatures can drop as low as -290°F (-180°C) at night.
Mercury is a rocky planet, also known as a terrestrial planet. Like Earth's Moon, Mercury has a solid, cratered surface.
Mercury's thin atmosphere, or exosphere, is composed mostly of oxygen (O2), sodium (Na), hydrogen (H2), helium (He), and potassium (K).
Mercury's axis of rotation is tilted only 2 degrees with respect to the plane of its orbit around the Sun. That is, it rotates almost completely upright and therefore does not experience weather.