Siteadmin, Check users, nsTeam1RO, nsTeam1RW, nsTeam1_talkRO, nsTeam1_talkRW, oversight, Administrators
30,650
edits
Changes
ref - radar observations found that Mercury’s rotation period is only 58.6 Earth days, not the 88 days accepted for nearly a century
Mercury is the smallest planet in the Solar System, and it is the closest to the [[Sun]]. It orbits the [[Sun]] in 88 days. 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 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.
It was the study of this planet's orbit that [[Albert Einstein]] used to help confirm the theory of General Relativity.[cite reference]
It was the study of this planet's orbit that [[Albert Einstein]] used to help confirm the theory of General Relativity.[cite reference]