Mercury

== Description ==
Mercury is the smallest and closest planet to the Sun in our Solar System, completes one orbit around the Sun in approximately 88 Earth days. Interestingly, it also rotates on its axis three times for every two orbits. This planet derives its name from the Roman god Mercury, who was known as the messenger to the gods.
Mercury's surface displays a high number of craters, suggesting that it has remained geologically inactive for billions of years. The planet's lack of atmosphere results in extreme temperature differences, with temperatures dropping to 100 K at night and rising to 700 K during the day. Despite having the smallest axial tilt in the Solar system, Mercury has the highest orbital eccentricity. Unlike Earth and other planets, the seasons on Mercury are determined by its distance from the sun rather than its axial tilt. The intensity of sunlight on Mercury's surface is more than double at perihelion compared to aphelion. As a result of the planet's orbital eccentricity, the seasons remain consistent across both hemispheres.
Mercury possesses a stable global magnetic field that is approximately 1.1% as powerful as Earth's. The equatorial field strength measures at 300 nT (nanoteslas), in contrast to Earth's equator which has around 35,000 nT. This magnetic field effectively diverts the Solar wind away from the planet, resulting in the formation of a magnetosphere. The solar wind plasma contained within the magnetosphere plays a role in the space weathering process on Mercury's surface. Similar to Earth, Mercury's magnetic field is dipolar and is most likely generated by a dynamo effect caused by circulation in its liquid, iron-rich core.
==Images==
Mercury-000.jpg|Mercury as illuminated by the Sun
Mercury-001.jpg|Mercury's heavily cratered surface
Mercury-002.jpg|Mercury's north polar region
Mercury-003.jpg|Notable impact craters on Mercury's surface
Mercury-004.jpg|View towards the south polar region
Mercury-005.jpg|Another view of Mercury's two notable impact craters
Mercury-006.jpg|The Great Triangle
Mercury-007.jpg|Rembrandt Crater
Mercury-008.jpg|A cratered region
Mercury-009.jpg|Brontë (Mercurian crater)
Mercury-010.jpg|Aerial Sunrise on Mercury
Mercury-011.jpg|Region at Grotell Crater
Mercury-012.jpg|Mid afternoon at the North Polar Region
Mercury-013.jpg|Mercury Sunset
Mercury-sbump.jpg|Surface Map of Mercury
Category:Selenae
Category:Real objects
Category:Planets
Category:Objects
Category:Solar System:Planets
Category:Ferria
Category:Airless