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:''For information about the NASA project, see [[Project Mercury]].''

:''For information about the NASA project, see [[Project Mercury]].''

[[Mercury]] is the smallest planet in the [[Solar System]] and the closest to the [[Sun]]. It orbits the [[Sun]] in 88 Earth days and rotates on its axis every 58.6 Earth datesdays,<ref>"The theory that Mercury is in [[synchronous rotation]] with its orbital motion was shattered in 1965. Astronomers Gordon Pettengill and Rolf Dyce used a radio telescope to make radar observations of Mercury’s spin rate. They found that Mercury’s rotation period is only 58.6 Earth days, not the 88 days accepted for nearly a century." [http://btc.montana.edu/messenger/elusive_planet/modern_times.htm]</ref> which is 3 rotations for every two orbits (called "3:2 resonance").  It can be seen from [[Earth]] only at sunrise and sunset.<ref name="spacemag">[http://www.space.com/spacewatch/mercury_view_030404.html Seeing Mercury at sunset], April 2003</ref>

[[Mercury]] is the smallest planet in the [[Solar System]] and the closest to the [[Sun]]. It orbits the [[Sun]] in 88 Earth days and rotates on its axis every 58.6 Earth days,<ref>"The theory that Mercury is in [[synchronous rotation]] with its orbital motion was shattered in 1965. Astronomers Gordon Pettengill and Rolf Dyce used a radio telescope to make radar observations of Mercury’s spin rate. They found that Mercury’s rotation period is only 58.6 Earth days, not the 88 days accepted for nearly a century." [http://btc.montana.edu/messenger/elusive_planet/modern_times.htm]</ref> which is 3 rotations for every two orbits (called "3:2 resonance").  It can be seen from [[Earth]] only at sunrise and sunset.<ref name="spacemag">[http://www.space.com/spacewatch/mercury_view_030404.html Seeing Mercury at sunset], April 2003</ref>

Mercury is one of the five brightest planets.   

Mercury is one of the five brightest planets.