Brothers and sisters, you have been reading and hearing about different planets in the universe or the solar system. But, have you studied any of the planets in depth? Today, through this article, we have tried to inform you about its identity, name, texture, etc.
The identity and name of the planet Mercury
The planet Mercury was first discovered by a Greek astronomer named Timocharis in 200 BC. Back then, it was considered a star, not a planet. It was believed to orbit not only the sun but also the earth. But in 1543, Copernicus, a mathematician or astronomer, presented a model of the solar system he had designed. The sample showed that the Sun was in the middle of the Solar System and that other planets, including Mercury, orbited the Sun. Galileo, an Italian physicist, used a telescope to confirm Copernicus’ pattern.
Mercury was not clearly visible until the middle of the 20th century. However, in the 1960’s, astronomers learned more about the planet with the help of radio signals. The data also showed that 59 days on Earth is equal to one day on Mercury. Mercury takes 88 days to orbit the Sun. That is, one year of Mercury equals 88 days of Earth. Which is the shortest time of all the other planets in the solar system.
The planet is said to be named after the Roman god Mercury. Which is also considered the messenger or messenger of the Roman gods.
What is its texture?
Mercury is a terrestrial and rocky planet like Earth. Its average diameter is four thousand eight hundred and eighty kilometers. This planet is shorter than many planets or moons in the solar system. The planet is made up of 70 percent metal and 30 percent silicate. Its density is 5.43 grams per cubic centimeter.
According to geologists, the surface of Mercury coincides with the Earth’s moon. Like the moon, the planet still has craters in ancient times. The largest of these pits is the Chloris Crater. Its diameter alone is one thousand five hundred and fifty kilometers. Two kilometers high rocks are frozen around this crater. The planet’s temperature continues to rise and fall abnormally. During the day its temperature reaches 430 degrees Celsius and at night it reaches minus 170 degrees.
This planet does not have a natural satellite. To date, only two spacecraft have been sent to the planet. The first of which is ‘Mariner 10’. Which orbited the planet three times from 1974 to 1975. Similarly, the second is ‘Messenger’. It was launched in 2004. It orbited Mercury several times between 2011 and 2015. On April 30, 2015, it crashed on the planet’s surface.
‘Morning’ or ‘Evening’ star
Mercury is also known as the ‘Morning’ or ‘Evening’ star because it can be seen with the naked eye in the open sky before sunrise and after sunset. Just as the Earth and the Moon have a relationship, so does the Sun and Mercury. That is, one side of Mercury always turns towards the Sun. The average distance between this planet and the sun is 57.6 million kilometers. It is 26 times smaller than Earth. It is located at a distance of 77 million kilometers from the earth.