Mercury (2023)

FAQs

What are 5 facts about Mercury? ›

At a distance of only about 1/3 of Earth's distance to Sun, Mercury is the first planet in our Solar System. With a diameter of only 4880 kilometers (3032 miles) Mercury is the smallest planet in the Solar System. It is barely bigger than our Moon. Not only is Mercury the smallest planet, it is also shrinking!

Mercury is used in many industries. It's used to produce chlorine gas and caustic soda, and in thermometers, barometers, batteries , and electrical switches.

Mercury is the only metal on earth that is liquid at room temperature. Liquid mercury is so slippery that it will fall your skin if you try to hold it. It is so heavy that 2 tablespoons of mercury weighs about one pound!

At its current rotational velocity, it takes about 176 Earth days to experience one Mercurian day-night cycle. But you wouldn't make it to the next day because you would die in about two minutes due to freezing or burning up.

Fastest Planet

The closer a planet is to the Sun, the faster it travels. Since Mercury is the fastest planet and has the shortest distance to travel around the Sun, it has the shortest year of all the planets in our solar system – 88 days.

Mercury and gold settle and combine together to form an amalgam. Gold is then extracted by vaporizing the mercury.

Mercury is a very toxic or poisonous substance that people can be exposed to in several ways. If it is swallowed, like from a broken thermometer, it mostly passes through your body and very little is absorbed. If you touch it, a small amount may pass through your skin, but not usually enough to harm you.

1 MER = 0.0006051 USD.

Mercury shines brightly, but it is so far away that early astronomers could not discern any details of its terrain; they could map only its motion in the sky. As the innermost planet, Mercury (as seen from Earth) never wanders more than 27 degrees from the sun.

What cool things can Mercury do? ›

Mercury is used in fluorescent lamps, thermometers, float valves, dental amalgams, in medicine, for the production of other chemicals, and to make liquid mirrors. Mercury(II) fulminate is an explosive used as a primer in firearms.

In astrology, Mercury is the planet of communication, intellect, memory, and transportation. Your Mercury sign influences all these traits, like whether you're a triple texter, if you use an Excel spreadsheet to plan every weekend trip or just ~go with the flow~, and which Wikipedia pages you spend hours reading.

Mercury is an extremely rare element in Earth's crust, having an average crustal abundance by mass of only 0.08 parts per million (ppm).

Exposure to mercury – even small amounts – may cause serious health problems, and is a threat to the development of the child in utero and early in life. Mercury may have toxic effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, and on lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes.

As unlikely as it seems, a new study announced by researchers at the Planetary Science Institute (PSI) suggests that some regions in Mercury's subsurface might have once been hospitable enough for prebiotic chemistry or – perhaps – even simple microscopic lifeforms.

So far, the only life we know of is right here on our planet Earth. It is because of the hostile conditions of other planets in the solar system. Essential elements of life- oxygen, water, air, etc. - are lacking on other planets.

Mercury-P (Меркурий-П) is a proposed mission to Mercury by the Russian Space Agency. The currently anticipated launch date is 2031. It is planned to be a lander.

Besides Earth, Mars would be the easiest planet to live on. Mars has liquid water, a habitable temperature and a bit of an atmosphere that can help protect humans from cosmic and solar radiation. The gravity of Mars is 38% that of the Earth.

Mercury compounds were employed as a medication against syphilis, which plagued mankind for more than four hundred years--from the Middle Ages till mid 20th century, when the discovery of penicillin became the turning point.

An enduring myth about the Moon is that it doesn't rotate. While it's true that the Moon keeps the same face to us, this only happens because the Moon rotates at the same rate as its orbital motion, a special case of tidal locking called synchronous rotation.

Does Mercury protect Earth? ›

Earth's magnetosphere is strong enough to protect us from the solar wind's radiation, but Mercury's magnetic field is comparatively weaker. “From our magnetic measurements, we can tell that Mercury is managing to stand up to a lot of the solar wind and protect the surface of the planet, at least in some spots.

The price of one pound of mercury can be calculated by using the price per 76.00 pounds cost of mercury as a conversion factor. The price of one pound of mercury is $2.02.

If inorganic mercury enters your bloodstream, it can attack the kidneys and brain. Permanent kidney damage and kidney failure may occur. A large amount in the bloodstream may cause massive blood and fluid loss from diarrhea and kidney failure, leading to death.

Chemical Properties

From a chemical point of view, mercury is also considered a precious metal. Mercury is liquid at normal temperatures but – due to its chemical properties (corrosion and resistance to acid) – it is classified as a precious metal.

Fish/seafood consumption is the strongest dietary predictor of mercury biomarker concentrations; however, consumption of wine, rice, vegetables/vegetable oil, or liquor may also contribute, especially among non-seafood consumers.

Mercury poisoning is rare in the United States but can be more common in other countries, especially among mining communities or near seaside towns where food could become contaminated with mercury.

These recommendations are based on EPA guidance and estimates of mercury in the most popular canned tunas: Canned white, or albacore (0.32 parts per million of mercury). Children under six can eat up to one 3-ounce portion a month; children from 6-12, two 4.5-ounce portions a month.

Banned Products

A person may not offer for sale or distribution many products that contain intentionally added mercury, including: motor vehicles manufactured after 1/1/03 that contain a mercury switch of any type.

Mercury is an element and a metal that is found in air, water, and soil. It exists in three forms that have different properties, usage, and toxicity. The three forms are called elemental (or metallic) mercury, inorganic mercury compounds, and organic mercury compounds. Elemental mercury is liquid at room temperature.

Depending on the type and amount, exposures to mercury can damage the nervous system, kidneys, liver and immune system. Breathing mercury vapors can harm the nervous system, lungs and kidneys. Mercury vapors can pass easily from the lungs to the bloodstream.

What planet does not exist anymore? ›

You know it as Pluto. When your parents were kids, Pluto was actually considered a planet. But 15 years ago, a group of scientists known as the International Astronomical Union voted to make the definition of “planets” more specific, and Pluto no longer made the cut.

The explorer would notice that the Sun appears two and a half times larger than on Earth; however, the sky is always black because Mercury has virtually no atmosphere to cause scattering of light.

Mercury: The Forgotten Planet.

How Is Mercury Poisoning Treated? Regardless of what kind of mercury you were exposed to, you will probably be treated with chelation therapy. During chelation therapy, compounds that are designed to bind to the mercury are inserted into your bloodstream. As these drugs do their work, your body eliminates the mercury.

The preparation, properties and use in nuclear weapons of red mercury are described. It can be used to produce neutron-bomb-like weapons and perhaps also low-yield lightweight fusion weapons.

He was the most clever of the Olympian gods, and served as messenger for all the other gods. He ruled over wealth, good fortune, commerce, fertility, and thievery. Among his personal favorite commercial activities was the corn trade. He was also the god of manual arts and eloquence.

It is understood that the sunny side may reach temperatures of 750 to 800 degrees F., while the nighttime temperature plummets to nearly -330 degrees F. The average temperature on Mercury is a balmy 354 degrees F.

Mercury is not a planet that would be easy to survive on but it may not be impossible. It is worth noting that without a space suit you would not survive very long at all, due to a lack of atmosphere. On top of this Mercury has one of the largest changes in temperature in the Solar System.

Mercury's thin atmosphere contains small amounts of sodium that glow when excited by light from the Sun. Sunlight also liberates these molecules from Mercury's surface and pushes them away. The yellow glow from sodium, in particular, is relatively bright.

Why is life impossible in Mercury? ›

Scientists do not believe there has ever been life on Mercury. The atmosphere on Mercury is almost non-existant. It doesn't protect the planet from the harsh radiation of the Sun or radiation from space, nor does it trap heat and provide a breathable atmosphere. Mercury is inhospitable and sterile.