Space has always beckoned with its mystery and suspense. For many centuries, people have tried to solve its riddles. Today, with the development of the space industry, the study of the solar system and distant galaxies has reached a completely different level. Of course, much remains unknown and hidden from our understanding, but still ahead.
In this article we will consider one of the planets of the solar system - Mercury. You will learn a lot of interesting things about this celestial body: how long it takes day and year, whether it has satellites and rings, and much more.
What planet is from the sun?
Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system. Until 2006, this title was worn by Pluto. But at the congress of the IAU General Assembly, which took place on August 24, it was decided to deprive him of the status of a big planet.
The distance from Mercury to the Sun is 57.9 million km. Unlike other planets, it is closest to the luminary. It is followed by Venus, Earth and Mars, and after the asteroid belt there are celestial giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. So, Mercury is the planet of the solar system, which is located first from the sun.
The color of a celestial object
The images taken from space satellites and from ground-based telescopes made it possible to determine exactly what color Mercury was. The entire surface of the planet is covered with gray rocks, which arose as a result of solidification of molten lava. The cooling of magma and the formation of stony rocks occurred billions of years ago. Now Mercury is a planet entirely made up of bare rocks. According to scientists, for several million years there have been no signs of erosive and tectonic processes on it. A change in the landscape of the planet occurs only due to the fall of meteorites, which leave furrows on the surface of Mercury.
Geologists involved in the study of images, argue that at the moment on the planet closest to the Sun, not a single active volcano has been recorded. What color Mercury could have been if it had been colored by streams of hot magma - one can only guess. But today he appears before us as a faceless gray planet.
Landscape studies
The surface of Mercury was observed using the Messenger spacecraft. Several thousand high-quality images were taken, which were transferred for research to researchers. What color Mercury is clearly visible in these photographs: the dark gray color scheme predominates in color images of the planet.
These satellite images have high resolution. On them, scientists found that on the surface of Mercury formed bright depressions, which appeared relatively recently. This means that the landscape of the planet has been slightly altered in a short period of time.
Prior to this, only scarps were observed on the surface of Mercury - long cracks, the formation of which is due to cooling of magma. Their length is hundreds of kilometers, and in appearance they resemble spiders. In satellite imagery, scientists discovered escarpments of a smaller size that had not been observed before. A possible reason for their appearance is gravitational processes occurring under the crust.
What color is Mercury, it is easy to determine by looking at a photo of the planet. Her appearance is very similar to the moon. Both celestial bodies have a similar coloring and landscape. If you compare the photographs of Mercury and the Moon, you can clearly see that gray tones prevail in the coloring of the surface, as well as craters formed by the fall of meteorites are clearly visible. But still they have differences. For example, Mercury has numerous eskarps, while on the moon they are not. But on the first planet from the Sun you will not find lunar seas.
Interesting Facts
Thanks to the development of the space industry, people have the opportunity to better know our universe, including information about the planets of the solar system. Consider interesting facts about the planet Mercury:
- A day on the planet lasts approximately 59 Earth days. That is how much time Mercury needs to complete one revolution around its axis.
- Around the Sun, the planet circles in almost 88 Earth days. Exactly so much here lasts a year.
- Temperature fluctuations are very significant. At night, the surface of the planet cools down to –183 degrees Celsius, and during the day the Sun heats Mercury to +430 degrees. The thing is that the planet cannot keep warm.
- Depending on how far Mercury is from the Sun, the composition of its exosphere (a kind of atmosphere) changes. As scientists have established, it contains sodium, calcium and magnesium. The concentration of these substances changes with approach and removal from the sun.
- Although Mercury is quite difficult to find in heaven, our ancestors knew about its existence thousands of years ago.
- There are only two planets in the solar system that do not have natural satellites or rings. These include Venus and Mercury.
- This planet has the largest sulfur reserves. Also on Mercury, water ice and organics were discovered.