Mercury's Rotation Period example essay topic

As you may already know Mercury is the first planet. Which makes it the closest to the sun. It is 57,900,000 km (36,000,000 mi.) Because Mercury is so close to the sun it has extreme temperature differences. Mercury's surface temperatures range from -180 C to 450 C (-290 F to 840 F). Temperatures that hot can melt iron, and other metals. The dramatic temperature difference on Mercury are not only because it is so close to the sun but, also by Mercury's surface features.

The places that are the coldest on Mercury and at the bottom of the craters and basins. The hottest are the places closest to the sun. The temperature of the side that is farthest away from the sun is allot warmer than scientists thought it would be. Not a whole side but parts of Mercury have never been in sunlight before. This is why scientists thought it would be colder than it really was. Mercury's surface is much like the moon, they are to being the same size.

It has many craters, high multiple ring basins, and many lava flows. They have their similarities and differences. Mercury's diameter is 4,900 miles wide. Mercury's largest feature is the Caloris Basin. The Caloris basin is 1,300 Km (800 MI). in diameter. The Caloris Basins floor is full of cliffs and ridges.

As you progress to the bottom the cliffs and ledges increase in size. The Caloris Basin was created when it was bombarded with meteorites. The Caloris basin was created by a meteorite that could of been up to 100 km. When the large meteorite hit Mercury it sent shocks through it which produced jumbled hills on the opposite side of Mercury. This process as known as The Caloris Impact.

The lava flowed into craters and basins which filled holes and cracks that smoothed out their floors. Like Earth, Mercury has 3 main layers. The Earth's being the crust, mantle, and core. Earth's core is made up of molten rock AKA lava. Liquid cores create a magnetic field.

Mercury's three layers are a rocky silicate crust, solid rocky silicate mantle, and a hot liquid ion-nickle core. The core makes up 75% of its diameter. Scientists did not think that is was possible for the core to be liquid because over the years mercury's rotation has slowed down dramatically. They thought that it would of been hardened by now.

Planets that have a magnetic field that a regenerated by the rotation of a conductive molten core such as that of Earth and mercury are known as "The Dynamo Effect". Mercury's rotation period is 59 earth days long. That is how long it takes it to rotate once on it's axis. It used to be much faster but over the years it has slowed dramatically.

Mercury's speed in orbit is 107,400 mph. Mercury got its name from a messenger if the Greek gods. He was very fast because he had wings on his feet. Mercury used to be the fastest planet in our solar system.

Mercury's revolution period is 88 earth days. That is one year to them. Mercury's mass is 0.055 (that of Earth's), density is 5.44 grams per cubic cm. Mercury's atmosphere is 42% helium, 42% sodium, 15%oxygen, and 1% is of other gases.

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