Mercury

The Planet ItselfClosest to the sun, though not the hottest, Mercury is quite a different planet from most.

The Planet ItselfHaving no atmosphere, Mercury is a very interesting planet.

Craters and MountainsMercury is an easy target for

meteoroids and comets to

crash onto, hence it has

thousands of huge craters.

Talking TimeSince mercury rotates very slowly, time on Mercury is “just a little

bit twisted.”

What Astronomers

ThoughtAstronomers believed that on the poles of Mercury there was

water ice due to comets.

Missions to MercuryBefore 2011, only one space craft -

Mariner 10- had ever visited Mercury.

MESSENGER to Mercury

In March 2011, MESSENGER

was sent to Mercury, many days

sending back pictures.