Mercury :
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Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun in our Solar System and the fastest moving planet in our Solar System. It is the second-hottest planet in our Solar System (only Venus is hotter). Mercury is so close to the Sun that from Earth, you can only see it near sunrise or sunset . Mercury has no moons . Mercury was named after Mercury, the mythical Roman winged messenger.
This small, rocky planet has almost no atmosphere. Since the atmosphere is so slight, the sky would appear pitch black (except for the sun, stars, and other planets, when visible), even during the day. If you were on the surface of Mercury , the Sun would look almost three times as big as it does from Earth! Also, there is no "greenhouse effect" on Mercury. When the Sun sets, the temperature drops very quickly since the atmosphere does not help retain the heat .
Mercury has a very elliptical orbit and a huge range in temperature. During the long daytime (which lasts 88 Earth days or an entire Mercurian year), the temperature is hotter than an oven; during the long night (the same length), the temperature is colder than a freezer.
Mercury is about 3,031 miles (4,878 km) in diameter. It is the second-smallest planet in our Solar System (only Pluto is smaller). Mercury is only slightly larger than our moon. Mercury is a heavily cratered planet; its surface is similar to the surface of the Earth's moon.
There are no seasons on Mercury. Seasons are caused by the tilt of the axis relative to the planet's orbit. Since Mercury's axis is directly perpendicular to its motion (it is not tilted), it has no seasons.
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