The Universe
Yours to Discover
Mercury's elliptical orbit takes the small planet as close as 47 million kilometres and as far as 70 million kilometres from the sun. If one could stand on the scorching surface of Mercury when it's at its closest point to the Sun, the Sun would appear almost three times as large as it does when viewed from Earth.
Temperatures on Mercury's surface can reach 430 degrees Celsius and because the planet has no atmosphere to retain that heat, the nighttime temperature on the surface of Mercury can drop to -170 degrees Celsius. |