1. Mercury
By: Ava Doskicz

2. How Did Mercury Get Its Name?
The planet received its name because it moves so quickly across the sky.
In Roman mythology, Mercury is the god of commerce, travel, and thievery. Mercury was named after Hermes; the messenger of the gods. The Greeks had two names for the planet: Apollo (in the morning sky) and Hermes (in the evening sky). The Romans named it Mercury for the Roman equivalent of Hermes, the messenger of the gods.

3. Discovery of Mercury: who? when? & how?
Who-Timocharis a Greek astronomer & philosopher
When- He first recorded the observation of Mercury in 265 BC
How-The five original naked-eye planets were Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn, and they had a significant impact on ancient astronomy, mythology, and cosmology. Since Mercury is closer to the Sun than the Earth, the illumination of Mercury's disk varies when viewed with a telescope from our perspective.
How cont.-It is so difficult to make out features on the surface of the planet from Earth, it was not until the 1960s that scientists determined the correct day length rate (59 Earth days) of the planet on its axis. This also showed that Mercury's day length and year length are the same.

4. Planet measurements mass- 328.5E21 kg Volume- 60,827,208,742 km3.
Density g/cm³
Gravity- 3.7 m/s²
Would your planet float or sink?
-In water mercury would sink very quickly as it is very heavy. Part of mercury dissolves in water and is extremely poisonous.

5. Distances Distance form the earth (km) Order from the sun
77 million km
Order from the sun
Closest to the sun
Distance from the sun (km)
57,909,175 km

6. Why couldn’t humans live on Mercury?
We can't live on mercury because it is either way too hot or way too cold, depending on location, as well as having no atmosphere, and no air. Mercury has no oxygen, carbon, anything. Any gases we put on it would evaporate into space because, again, mercury has no atmosphere.

7. More on Mercury
Weather- Daytime temperatures can reach a blistering 450°C and then drop to a frigid -170°C at night. Hard to know how to dress for that climate. Rings- none Satellites- none Water- Water was found on Mercury near its north pole. The water was found as ice frozen in the bottom of several craters, where sunlight cannot evaporate it. Moons-none

8. Composition/appearance
What type of planet is mercury gas, giant,& rocky?
Mercury is covered by a dusty layer of minerals (silicates), the surface is made up of plains, cliffs, and craters
What does mercury look like?
The planet Mercury looks a little bit like Earth's moon. Like our Moon, Mercury’s surface is covered with craters caused by space rock impacts. Mercury has a thick iron core and a thinner outer crust of rocky material.

9. Temperatures What is the Temperature range on mercury?
Temperature Range on Mercury:-184o C to 427o C (-300o F to 800o F)
How does Mercury’s temperature compare to earths?
The temperatures on Earth are moderated by the atmosphere and by the oceans, which absorb and transfer heat from the equatorial regions (most notably as hurricanes). Precipitation can either increase or decrease local temperatures. On Mercury, there is no liquid water and virtually no atmosphere. The only regions with temperatures close to Earth's are near Mercury's poles, where solar radiation is the least intense

10. Orbit & rotation
How long does it take Mercury to orbit around the sun Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. It’s the fastest to orbit the Sun. Mercury only takes 88 days to orbit the Sun. How long does it take Mercury to rotate on its own axis (day form) Mercury completes one rotation every Earth days.

11. Special things about Mercury!
88 earth days is one year there
Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system
Second densest planet
Mercury has wrinkles

12. "Nine Plants." The Solar System Tour. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2013.
Bibliography
"Discover Mercury." Discover of Mercury by Early Astronomers, Missions. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec
"LINKS." Exploratorium: The Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec
"Nine Plants." The Solar System Tour. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec
"Solar System Exploration: Home Page." Solar System Exploration: Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec