Mercury

**EXTERNAL COMPOSITION:** Mercury has a very thin atmosphere; the atmosphere has small amounts of helium, hydrogen, oxygen, and sodium **INTERNAL COMPOSITION:** Liquid iron core **SIZE:** Smallest planet, only a little bit larger than Earth’s moon **DENSITY**: Second densest planet after Earth, large core made of metal, core is about 2,200 to 2,400 miles wide (which is almost 75% of the planets diameter), only 300 to 400 miles of outer shell **ORBIT:** 87.969 days; a day on Mercury lasts 59 Earth days; it only rotates 3 times for every 2 revolutions Here is a cool animation of Mercury's orbit--> [] **SURFACE FEATURES:** Mercury is a rocky planet. The surface has many craters; ice may exist in the deep craters of the north and south poles **TECTONIC ACTIVITY:** Most tectonic activity occurred in the beginning stages of Mercury’s life, such as shrinking due to the cooling surface **SURFACE TEMPERATURE:** Maximum: 465 degrees Celsius (870 Fahrenheit); minimum: -184 degrees Celsius (-300 Fahrenheit) **SUITABILITY FOR LIFE:** Cannot sustain life, too close to sun (too hot); however, it may have ice in the north and south pole [] <--NASA [] <--This link has tons of videos, fun facts, and simulations like "A Day on Mercury" "Mercury – Facts and Information about the Planet Mercury | Space.com." Space and NASA News – Universe and Deep Space Information | Space.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2013. <[|__http://www.space.com/36-mercury-the-suns-closest-planetary-neighbor.html__]>. "Solar System Exploration: Planets: Mercury: Overview." NASA. U.S. Government, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2013. < __http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Mercury__ >. "The tectonics of Mercury." SAO/NASA ADS: ADS Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2013. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">< __http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1988merc.book..374M__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">>.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Got its name because it circles the sun the fastest and is as quick as the Roman foot messenger Mercury
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Because Mercury is so close to the sun, it is hard to directly observe from Earth except during twilight.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mercury is indirectly visible 13 times a century, you can see Mercury pass across the face of the sun, called a transit. The transits fall within several days of May 8 and November 10. The first two transits of Mercury in the 21st century occurred 7 May 2003 and 8 November 2006. The next will occur on 9 May 2016.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gravity on Mercury is .38 of Earth’s gravitational pull. A 10 ft jump on Earth is about a 26 ft jump on Mercury.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Magnetic field is about 1 percent the strength of Earth’s
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Second densest planet after Earth
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">USEFUL LINKS: **
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