Mercury
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The small and rocky planet Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun; it speeds around the Sun in a wildly elliptical orbit that takes it as close as 47 million km and as far as 70 million km from the Sun. Mercury completes a trip around the Sun every 88 days, speeding through space at nearly 50 km/s, faster than any other planet. Because it is so close to the Sun, temperatures on its surface can reach 467 degrees Celsius. Because the planet has hardly any atmosphere to keep it warm, nighttime temperatures can drop to -183 degrees Celsius.Because Mercury is so close to the Sun, it is hard to see from Earth except during twilight. |
© Copyright Rob Kantelberg
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