Mercury

The first planet from the Sun in the solar system. Mercury orbits the Sun at an average distance of 0.4 times Earth's distance. The planet is just five percent as massive as Earth, and it about 50 percent larger than the Moon. It is made of solid, rocky material that is heavily cratered, and it has no significant atmosphere. Mercury has no moons.

Resources

 The Solar System: Inner Planets: Exploring Our Own Back Yard The four planets closest to the Sun -- Mercury,...
The Solar System: Inner Planets: Mercury Tiny, cratered Mercury is the closest planet to...

Radio Programs

 Mercury in the Morning Teasing out a view of Mercury Monday, April 16, 2012
Evening Mercury Rethinking the birth of a planet Monday, March 5, 2012
Friendship 7 Getting back in the Space Race Monday, February 20, 2012
Morning Mercury A confusing planet in the morning sky Friday, September 2, 2011
Evening Mercury A hot planet in the evening sky Monday, July 18, 2011
More Moon and Mercury Looking into the heart of a planet Sunday, July 3, 2011
Moon and Mercury Getting to know a hard-to-see planet Saturday, July 2, 2011
Mercury in the Morning A planet with a message Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Messenger at Mercury II Probing a planetary bowling ball Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Messenger at Mercury Clearing up the view of an elusive planet Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Mercury and Jupiter Big and small in the evening sky Monday, March 14, 2011
Urbain Leverrier A "calculated" planetary discovery Friday, March 11, 2011
Vulcanoid Zone Searching the "vulcanoid zone" Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Mercury in the Evening Chasing an elusive planet Monday, November 29, 2010
Morning Mercury Tracking an elusive planet Saturday, September 18, 2010
Morning Mercury Heading south for Mercury Sunday, May 23, 2010
Moon and Planets Speeding along with a quick planet Thursday, April 15, 2010
Venus and Mercury II Tailing a "leaky" planet Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Featured Images

Messenger view of Mercury's southern hemisphere
 Hard-to-Study Planet Friday, September 2, 2011
Messenger view of the surface of Mercury, June 2011
 Hello, Sunshine Saturday, July 2, 2011
MESSENGER's first color image of Mercury, March 29, 2011
 First Glimpse Thursday, March 31, 2011
Artist's concept of Messenger orbiting Mercury
 Safe Arrival Friday, March 18, 2011
Planetary Tail Tuesday, April 6, 2010

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