The nearest planet to Sun?
VerifiedAnswer: Mercury
Explanation:
Mercury is the planet closest to our Sun in our solar system. Located at an average distance of about 58 million kilometers (36 million miles) from the Sun, Mercury holds the position as the innermost planet among all eight planets orbiting our star.
To understand Mercury's position better, let's look at the order of planets from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Being the first in this sequence, Mercury experiences the most intense solar radiation and has some fascinating characteristics due to its proximity to the Sun.
Here are some interesting facts about Mercury that result from its close relationship with the Sun:
• Extreme temperatures: Mercury experiences scorching daytime temperatures of up to 427°C (800°F), hot enough to melt lead. However, surprisingly, its nighttime temperatures can drop to -173°C (-280°F) because Mercury has no atmosphere to trap heat.
• Fastest orbital speed: Being closest to the Sun, Mercury orbits our star at the highest speed among all planets, completing one orbit in just 88 Earth days.
• Smallest planet: Mercury is also the smallest planet in our solar system, with a diameter of about 4,879 kilometers (3,032 miles), making it only slightly larger than Earth's Moon.
• No moons or rings: Unlike many other planets, Mercury has no natural satellites (moons) or ring systems.
The planet was named after the Roman messenger god Mercury, which is quite fitting considering how quickly it moves across the sky as observed from Earth. Ancient astronomers noticed this swift movement and associated it with the speedy messenger of the gods.
Mercury's surface is heavily cratered, similar to our Moon, because it lacks a substantial atmosphere to protect it from meteorite impacts. The planet has a large iron core, which makes up about 75% of its radius, giving it the second-highest density among all planets in our solar system, after Earth.
