MERCURY (The Messenger of The Gods)

MERCURY (The Messenger of The Gods)

Mercury is the first Planet and the fastest.
Aka: Hermes [Greek]
Symbol: (see inset)
Sex: M
Planet No.: 1
Mean Dis.: 57,900,00Km. 36,093,450Miles
AU: .39 Range: 46-70 million km (31-47million miles)
Dia.: 4878km (3031miles)
Comp: nickel-iron, silicates (with a large iron core)
Color: red (coppery-grey)
Mass:* .05%
Gravity:* .38% (2x that of our Moon)
Length of 'day': 1,416 hrs (58.65 days)
Length of 'year': 87.97 days (@ a speed of 108,000mph)[48miles per sec]
Atmosphere: faint argon,neon & helium
Ave. Temp: +806F to -292F (+430C to -145C)
Discovered by: The Babylonians (first recording of it in written language)
Date: c. 1867BC
Exploration: Mariner 10 (between 1974-1975) made three active flybys after going into it's own orbit around the Sun.
Misc info: Other than it's scorched surfaces, battered by meteorites, comets and asteroids, Mercury has changed very little in 4 million years. It is considered a dead planet. Mercury only distinguishing marks on it's coppery surfaces are it's scarps or rupees (Latin for cliffs) such as 'Discovery Rupe' (Which is about 500km approx. 310miles wide) the other largest craters and rupes are named after famous artists and musicians such as Renoir, Raphael and Beethoven.
Time/light Dis: 3:48min