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Line 1: − | name =Mercury + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − | date=+ − | discname=Known to ancients+ − | origname=Roman god+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + − + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + − [[Category:Planets]][[Category:Astrology]]+
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{{Planet
{{Planet
|image=Murcurt.jpg
| image=Murcurt.jpg
|caption=Reprocessed Mariner 10 data was used to produce this image of Mercury. The smooth band is an area of which no images were taken.
| caption=Reprocessed Mariner 10 data was used to produce this image of Mercury. The smooth band is an area of which no images were taken.
|discname=Known to ancients
| symbol=Mercury symbol.svg
|origname=Roman messenger god<br>and prince of thieves
| diameter=4,880 km
|primary=Sun
| mass=3.30e23 kg
|order=1
| order=1
|periapsis=46,000,000 km (0.307 AU)
| distance=0.387 AU
|apoapsis=70,000,000 km (0.468 AU)
| day=58.6 Earth days
|semimajor=57,909,175 km (0.387 AU)
| year=88 Earth days
|bode=0.4 AU
| moons=None known
|eccentricity=0.20563069
| composition=Iron, Silicate
|sidereal=87.96934 da (0.241 a)
| color=Reddish
|synodic=115.8776 da (0.317 a)
|orbitspeed=47.36 km/s
|inclination=7.00487°
|reference=the ecliptic
|siderealday=58.6462 da
|solarday=175.93868 da
|axialtilt=0°
|mass=3.30 * 10<sup>23</sup> kg (5.522% earth)
|density=5427 kg/m³
|meanradius=2439.7 km
|surfacegrav=2.78 m/s² (0.283 ''g'')
|escapespeed=4.25 km/s
|surfacearea=75,000,000 km² (14.704% earth)
|mintemp=90 K
|meantemp=452 K
|maxtemp=700 K
|moons=None known
|composition=Iron, Silicate
|color=Reddish
}}
}}
:''This is about the planet Mercury. For information about the chemical element, Mercury see [[Mercury (element)]].''
:''This article is about the planet Mercury. For information about the chemical element, Mercury see [[Mercury (element)]].''
:''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 it is the closest to the [[Sun]]. It orbits the [[Sun]] in 88 (Earth) days. It rotates on its axis every 58.6 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. It is named for the Roman messenger god who was known as [[Hermes]] in Greek.
[[Mercury]] is the smallest planet in the [[Solar System]], and it is the closest to the [[Sun]]. It orbits the [[Sun]] in 88 (Earth) days. It rotates on its axis every 58.6 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. It is named for the Roman messenger god who was known as [[Hermes]] in Greek.
== Orbital oddities ==
It was the study of this planet's orbit that [[Albert Einstein]] used to help confirm the theory of General Relativity.<ref>Testing general relativity [http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=31277 European Space Agency] Accessed July 16 2007</ref><ref>Albert Einstein [http://www.phy.hr/ Fizički odsjek] Accessed July 16 2007</ref>
It was the study of this planet's orbit that [[Albert Einstein]] used to help confirm the theory of General Relativity.<ref>Testing general relativity [http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=31277 European Space Agency] Accessed July 16 2007</ref><ref>Albert Einstein [http://www.phy.hr/ Fizički odsjek] Accessed July 16 2007</ref>
Mercury has more or less no atmosphere, and many craters. <ref>John Gribbin, ''Companion to the Cosmos'' (Little, Brown & Company, 1996)</ref> It has no known moons.
Mercury has more or less no atmosphere, and many craters. <ref>John Gribbin, ''Companion to the Cosmos'' (Little, Brown & Company, 1996)</ref> It has no known moons.
==Magnetic Field==
A curiosity of the planet is its magnetic field, which is about 1% that of Earth's. Scientists were perplexed to discover its existence, speculating that planet's outer core consisted of liquid iron. However, because it is relatively small and hot, such an outer core would long ago have expired. That Mercury is so intensely cratered would also suggest that Mercury should long ago have given up its magnetic field because of its extreme apparent age. Thus, according to current scientific understandings, the existence of Mercury's magnetic field presents a serious theoretical problem for uniformitarian models of the creation of the Solar System.
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Image:PIA00437-browse.jpg|Mariner 10's first image of Mercury acquired on March 24, 1974
Image:Mercury_MESSENGER.jpg|MESSENGER's first flyby of Mercury showing previously unseen surface, January 14, 2008
</gallery>
==Notes==
==Notes==
<references/>
<references/>
* [http://solarsystem.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Mercury&Display=Overview NASA "Mercury"]
* [http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v26/i4/mercury.asp Mercury — the tiny planet that causes big problems for evolution]
{{Solarsystem}}
{{Solarsystem}}
[[Category:Astrology]]