Jakarta We can observe the planet Mercury from Earth on November 29, 2021. This phenomenon called Superior conjunction occurs when Mercury, the Sun, and Earth are in a straight line, with Mercury’s back to the Sun.
Mercury is a rocky planet, just like Venus, Earth, and Mars. Mercury has no atmosphere nor does it have a moon and rings.
The planet Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system, only slightly larger than month. Although located closest to the Sun, Mercury is not the hottest planet in the solar system.
Reported from Space, here are interesting facts about the planet Mercury.
Have a day that is longer than the year
One day on Mercury is equivalent to 175.97 days on Earth. This is much longer than Mercury orbits the Sun or revolves. A year on Mercury is equivalent to 88 days on Earth. Mercury orbits the sun at 180,000 kilometers per hour.
Long temperature range
Temperatures on Mercury’s surface Temperatures on Mercury’s surface can reach 450 degrees Celsius. However, at night on Mercury, the temperature can drop to minus 170 degrees Celsius. This minimum and maximum temperature difference is the largest in the solar system, which is about 600 degrees Celsius. This wide temperature range is due to Mercury’s lack of an atmosphere, so there is nothing to keep the heat at the surface.
The planet Mercury keeps getting smaller
The planet Mercury consists of a layer of planetary plates that are above the planet’s core. The core of the planet Mercury is made up of iron. If this iron temperature decreases and solidifies, it will cause the planet to get smaller.
Has an active magnetic field
Mercury has an active magnetic field, especially in the northern hemisphere. This magnetic field is only 1% compared to the magnetic field on Earth. But this is enough to pull some particles from the sun and form a hot tornado on Mercury’s surface.
The atmosphere on Mercury is very thin
Humans will not be able to breathe on Planet Mercury because the atmosphere is very thin and is called the exosphere. The atmosphere contains 42% oxygen, then there is also sodium, hydrogen, helium, potassium, and carbon dioxide.
The sun rises several times a day
The shape of the planet Mercury is not round, but oval like the shape of an egg. This causes the rotation to be uneven. In a day, the sun on Mercury can appear to rise and set several times. []
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