August 6, 2003
Mercury's vital statistics
Mercury's vital statistics
Mercury | Earth | Mercury/Earth Ratio | |
Equatorial diameter | 4,880 km | 12,756 km | 0.38 |
Mass | 3.3 x 1020 t | 5.9 x 1021 t | 0.05 |
Mean density | 5.42 | 5.52 | 0.98 |
Rotation period | 58.7 Earth days | 1 Earth day | 58.7 |
Revolution period (Mercurian year) | 88 Earth days | 88 Earth days | 0.24 |
Length of a solar day | 176 Earth days | 1 Earth day | 176 |
Surface gravity | 3.7 m/s2 | 9.8 m/s2 | 0.378 |
Natural satellites | None | 1 | --- |
Ring system | No | No | --- |
Orbit | |||
Aphelion | 70 million km | 152 million km | 0.46 |
Perihelion | 46 million km | 147 million km | 0.31 |
Furthest distance from Earth | 222 million km | --- | --- |
Closest distance to Earth | 77 million km | --- | --- |
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More information
BEPI-COLOMBO mission, ESA website
Solar System Guide, University of Texas McDonald Observatory
Mercury Fact Sheet, National Space Science Data Center (NASA)
Solar System exploration, NASA website
Planetary photojournal - NASA website
CNES Youth/Education site
Educnet: new information and communication technologies in teaching
Solar System Guide, University of Texas McDonald Observatory
Mercury Fact Sheet, National Space Science Data Center (NASA)
Solar System exploration, NASA website
Planetary photojournal - NASA website
CNES Youth/Education site
Educnet: new information and communication technologies in teaching