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Mercury is the smallest and nearest planet to the Sun in the Solar System. Its orbit around the Sun is the shortest of all the Sun’s planets, taking 87.97 Earth days. It is called after the Roman god Mercurius (Mercury), the god of commerce, a messenger of the gods, and an intercessor between gods and mankind, who corresponds to the Greek god Hermes.
Table of Contents
Facts on The Smallest Planet in Solar System
- Mercury is the planet that orbits the Sun the closest.
- Mercury is our solar system’s fastest planet, racing through space at about 29 miles (47 kilometres) per second. The faster a planet travels, the closer it is to the Sun.
- The exosphere of Mercury is largely made up of oxygen (O2), sodium (Na), hydrogen (H2), helium (He), and potassium (K).
- Mercury has no moons or rings surrounding it.
Also Read: What is The Distance Between Earth and Sun?
Quick History of Mercury
- Mercury has been known since antiquity since it can be seen without the use of sophisticated telescopes.
- Two spacecraft have visited Mercury: Mariner 10 and MESSENGER.
How Hot is Mercury?
Mercury’s surface temperature can reach 840 degrees Fahrenheit due to its proximity to the sun (450 degrees Celsius). Yet, because this world lacks a genuine atmosphere to trap heat, temperatures can drop to minus 275 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 170 degrees Celsius) at night, a temperature fluctuation of more than 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit (600 degrees Celsius), the biggest in the solar system.
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Summary
Which is The Smallest Planet in Solar System?
The smallest planet in our solar system is Mercury. A planet as small and hot as Mercury has minimal chance of retaining a large atmosphere if one ever existed. To be sure, Mercury’s surface pressure is one-tenth that of Earth’s. Yet, the observed traces of atmospheric components have revealed information about intriguing planetary processes.
FAQs
Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system, and Jupiter is the largest. Earlier, Pluto was the smallest but it is no longer part of our solar system.
Apart from Mercury, Mars is the second-smallest planet, measuring 6792 kilometres across.
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