|
Outline Of Mercury (planet)
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Mercury: Mercury – smallest and innermost planet in the Solar System. Its orbital period (about 88 Earth days) is less than any other planet in the Solar System. Seen from Earth, it appears to move around its orbit in about 116 days. It has no known natural satellites. It is named after the Roman deity Mercury, the messenger to the gods. Classification of Mercury * Astronomical object ** Gravitationally rounded object *** Planet **** Planet of the Solar System ***** Inferior planet ***** Inner planet **** Terrestrial planet Location of Mercury * Milky Way Galaxy – barred spiral galaxy ** Orion Arm – a spiral arm of the Milky Way *** Solar System – the Sun and the objects that orbit it, including 8 planets, the planet closest to the Sun being Mercury **** Mercury's orbit Movement of Mercury * Mercury's orbit and rotation * Transit of Mercury Features of Mercury * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Terrestrial Planet
A terrestrial planet, telluric planet, or rocky planet, is a planet that is composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals. Within the Solar System, the terrestrial planets accepted by the IAU are the inner planets closest to the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. Among astronomers who use the geophysical definition of a planet, two or three planetary-mass satellites – Earth's Moon, Io, and sometimes Europa – may also be considered terrestrial planets; and so may be the rocky protoplanet-asteroids Pallas and Vesta.Emily Lakdawalla et al.What Is A Planet?The Planetary Society, 21 April 2020 The terms "terrestrial planet" and "telluric planet" are derived from Latin words for Earth (''Terra'' and ''Tellus''), as these planets are, in terms of structure, ''Earth-like''. Terrestrial planets are generally studied by geologists, astronomers, and geophysicists. Terrestrial planets have a solid planetary surface, making them substantially different from the larger gaseous plane ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Inter-crater Plains On Mercury
Inter-crater plains on Mercury are a land-form consisting of plains between craters on Mercury. Of the eight planets in the Solar System, Mercury is the smallest and closest to the Sun. The surface of this planet is similar to the Moon in that it shows characteristics of heavy cratering and plains formed through volcanic eruptions on the surface. These features indicate that Mercury has been geologically inactive for billions of years. Knowledge of Mercury's geology was initially quite limited because observations have only been through the ''Mariner 10'' flyby in 1975 and observations from Earth. The ''MESSENGER'' (an acronym of MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) mission of 2004 was a robotic NASA spacecraft orbiting the planet, the first spacecraft ever to do so. The data provided by ''MESSENGER'' has revealed a geologically complex planet. Types of plains There are two geologically distinct types of plains on Mercury - smooth plains of volcanic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ghost Craters On Mercury
Ghost craters on the planet Mercury have tectonic features such as graben and wrinkle ridges. These features were formed by extensional and contractional forces originating in tectonic processes such as uplift and global contraction. The combination of graben and wrinkle ridges inside ghost craters found on Mercury has not been observed on any of the other terrestrial planets. Discovery The tectonic features on Mercury were not studied in precise detail until the ''MESSENGER'' spacecraft was sent to Mercury; by 2009 the ''MESSENGER'' spacecraft had mapped 98% of the planet's surface. By 2013, Messenger mapped 100% of the planet's surface. Mercury Dual Imaging System cameras and Mercury Laser Altimeter equipment on the messenger spacecraft allowed for researchers to obtain high-resolution images of the planet's surface for analyzing Mercury's tectonics. Ghost craters Ghost craters are impact craters that have been filled with volcanic deposits. Ghost craters can be observed on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Craters On Mercury
This is a list of named craters on Mercury, the innermost planet of the Solar System ''(for other features, see list of geological features on Mercury)''. Most Mercurian craters are named after famous writers, artists and composers. According to the rules by IAU's Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature, all new craters must be named after an artist that was famous for more than fifty years, and dead for more than three years, before the date they are named. Craters larger than 250 km in diameter are referred to as "basins" ''(also see )''. As of 2021, there are 414 named Mercurian craters, a small fraction of the total number of named Solar System craters, most of which are lunar, Martian and Venerian craters. Other, non-planetary bodies with numerous named craters include Callisto ( 141), Ganymede ( 131), Rhea (128), Vesta (90), Ceres (90), Dione (73), Iapetus (58), Enceladus (53), Tethys (50) and Europa ( 41). For a full list, ''see List of craters in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Geological Features On Mercury
List of geological features on Mercury is an itemization of mountains, valleys, craters and other landform features of the planet Mercury. Different types of features are named after different things: Mercurian ridges are called dorsa, and are named after astronomers who made detailed studies of the planet; valleys are called valles, and are named after ancient abandoned cities, towns, and settlements; crater chains are called catenae and are named after radio telescope facilities; plains are called planitiae, and most are named after mythological names associated with Mercury; escarpments are called rupes and are named after the ships of famous explorers; long, narrow depressions are called fossae and are named after works of architecture; bright spots are called faculae and are named after the word snake in various languages. See also list of craters on Mercury, list of albedo features on Mercury, and list of quadrangles on Mercury Longitude is west longitude. List of geologi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geology Of Mercury
The geology of Mercury is the scientific study of the surface, crust, and interior of the planet Mercury. It emphasizes the composition, structure, history, and physical processes that shape the planet. It is analogous to the field of terrestrial geology. In planetary science, the term ''geology'' is used in its broadest sense to mean the study of the solid parts of planets and moons. The term incorporates aspects of geophysics, geochemistry, mineralogy, geodesy, and cartography. Historically, Mercury has been the least understood of all the terrestrial planets in the Solar System. This stems largely from its proximity to the Sun which makes reaching it with spacecraft technically challenging and Earth-based observations difficult. For decades, the principal source of geologic information about Mercury came from the 2,700 images taken by the Mariner 10 spacecraft during three flybys of the planet from 1974 to 1975. These images covered about 45% of the planet’s surface, bu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mercury's Extraterrestrial Sky
In astronomy, an extraterrestrial sky is a view of outer space from the surface of an astronomical body other than Earth. The only extraterrestrial sky that has been directly observed and photographed by astronauts is that of the Moon. The skies of Venus, Mars and Titan have been observed by space probes designed to land on the surface and transmit images back to Earth. Characteristics of extraterrestrial sky appear to vary substantially due to a number of factors. An extraterrestrial atmosphere, if present, has a large bearing on visible characteristics. The atmosphere's density and chemical composition can contribute to differences in colour, opacity (including haze) and the presence of clouds. Astronomical objects may also be visible and can include natural satellites, rings, star systems and nebulas and other planetary system bodies. Luminosity and angular diameter of the Sun The Sun's apparent magnitude changes according to the inverse square law, therefore, the dif ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Atmosphere Of Mercury
Mercury, being the closest to the Sun, with a weak magnetic field and the smallest mass of the recognized terrestrial planets, has a very tenuous and highly variable atmosphere (surface-bound exosphere) containing hydrogen, helium, oxygen, sodium, calcium, potassium and water vapor, with a combined pressure level of about 10−14 bar (1 nPa). The exospheric species originate either from the Solar wind or from the planetary crust. Solar light pushes the atmospheric gases away from the Sun, creating a comet-like tail behind the planet. The existence of a Mercurian atmosphere was contentious until 1974, although by that time a consensus had formed that Mercury, like the Moon, lacked any substantial atmosphere. This conclusion was confirmed in 1974 when the unmanned '' Mariner 10'' spaceprobe discovered only a tenuous exosphere. Later, in 2008, improved measurements were obtained by the ''MESSENGER'' spacecraft, which discovered magnesium in the Mercurian exosphere. Composition T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mercury's Magnetic Field
Mercury's magnetic field is approximately a magnetic dipole (meaning the field has only two magnetic poles) apparently global, on planet Mercury. Data from ''Mariner 10'' led to its discovery in 1974; the spacecraft measured the field's strength as 1.1% that of Earth's magnetic field. The origin of the magnetic field can be explained by dynamo theory. The magnetic field is strong enough near the bow shock to slow the solar wind, which induces a magnetosphere. Strength The magnetic field is about 1.1% as strong as Earth's. At the Hermean equator, the relative strength of the magnetic field is around 300 nT, which is weaker than that of Jupiter's moon Ganymede. Mercury's magnetic field is weaker than Earth's because its core had cooled and solidified more quickly than Earth's. Although Mercury's magnetic field is much weaker than Earth's magnetic field, it is still strong enough to deflect the solar wind, inducing a magnetosphere. Because Mercury's magnetic field is weak whil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Transit Of Mercury
frameless, upright=0.5 A transit of Mercury across the Sun takes place when the planet Mercury passes directly between the Sun and a superior planet. During a transit, Mercury appears as a tiny black dot moving across the Sun as the planet obscures a small portion of the solar disk. Because of orbital alignments, transits viewed from Earth occur in May or November. The last four such transits occurred on May 7, 2003; November 8, 2006; May 9, 2016; and November 11, 2019. The next will occur on November 13, 2032. A typical transit lasts several hours. Mercury transits are much more frequent than transits of Venus, with about 13 or 14 per century, primarily because Mercury is closer to the Sun and orbits it more rapidly. On June 3, 2014, the Mars rover ''Curiosity'' observed the planet Mercury transiting the Sun, marking the first time a planetary transit has been observed from a celestial body besides Earth. Scientific investigation The orbit of the planet Mercury lies interi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mercury's Orbit And Rotation
Mercury is the smallest planet in the Solar System and the closest to the Sun. Its orbit around the Sun takes 87.97 Earth days, the shortest of all the Sun's planets. It is named after the Roman god ' (Mercury), god of commerce, messenger of the gods, and mediator between gods and mortals, corresponding to the Greek god Hermes (). Like Venus, Mercury orbits the Sun within Earth's orbit as an inferior planet, and its apparent distance from the Sun as viewed from Earth never exceeds 28°. This proximity to the Sun means the planet can only be seen near the western horizon after sunset or the eastern horizon before sunrise, usually in twilight. At this time, it may appear as a bright star-like object, but is more difficult to observe than Venus. From Earth, the planet telescopically displays the complete range of phases, similar to Venus and the Moon, which recurs over its synodic period of approximately 116 days. The synodic proximity of Mercury to Earth makes Mercury most ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
.jpg "Click for more on -> Atmosphere Of Mercury")
.svg "Click for more on -> Mercury's Orbit And Rotation")