The planet Mercury has the greatest variation in surface temperature of any planet.
On the side facing the Sun, the surface temperature can reach over 400°C.
On the night side, it can fall to a freezing -180°C!
Mercury was the Roman god of business, travel and thievery. The equivalent Greek god was called Hermes, the messenger of the gods. The planet probably received this name because it moves so quickly across the sky. Very few people have actually seen Mercury because it is usually close to the Sun and appears in a bright twilight sky. Check out some sky maps and see if you can find it. |
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 Nearest planet to the Sun
2nd smallest planet
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