OUR SOLAR SYSTEM'S PLANETS: MERCURY
Here is another astronomy video from Alex McColgan, owner of the YouTube channel Astrum.
The episode explores the closest planet to the sun, Mercury.
The average distance of Mercury from the sun is 36 million miles (58 million km). It is the smallest terrestrial planet, with a diameter of 4,880 kilometers (3,032 miles). Mercury is more like the moon than a planet, as it has no atmosphere to moderate its temperature, which can vary from 800F (430C) on the dayside, to -280F (-174C) on the nightside. Mercury's year is 88 Earth days, and its day is 59 Earth days long, which illustrates a 3:2 orbital resonance. That means the Mercury completes three axial rotations for every two orbits it makes around the sun.
The episode explores the closest planet to the sun, Mercury.
The average distance of Mercury from the sun is 36 million miles (58 million km). It is the smallest terrestrial planet, with a diameter of 4,880 kilometers (3,032 miles). Mercury is more like the moon than a planet, as it has no atmosphere to moderate its temperature, which can vary from 800F (430C) on the dayside, to -280F (-174C) on the nightside. Mercury's year is 88 Earth days, and its day is 59 Earth days long, which illustrates a 3:2 orbital resonance. That means the Mercury completes three axial rotations for every two orbits it makes around the sun.
