A Picture of the Planet Mercury

Mercury Facts

  • Planet Name: Mercury
  • Type of Planet: Terrestrial planet
  • Solar System Region: Inner Solar System
  • Distance from the Sun: 28,500,000 miles (perihelion) to 43,500,000 miles (aphelion)
  • Time to Orbit Around the Sun: About 88 Earth days
  • Moons (natural satellites): 0
  • Total Surface Area: 28,950,180 square miles (0.147 Earths)

16 Mercury Facts for Kids

  1. The planet Mercury formed about 4.5 billion years ago.
  2. The planet Mercury was first observed via a telescope in the 17th century by Galileo Galilei and Thomas Harriot.
  3. The planet Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun.
  4. Mercury is a terrestrial planet.
  5. Mercury is the smallest planet in our Solar System.
  6. Mercury is the second densest planet in our Solar System.
  7. Mercury's gravity is 62% weaker than Earth's gravity.
  8. The radius of the planet Mercury is 1,516 miles.
  9. Mercury's perihelion (closest) distance to the Sun is 28.5 million miles.
  10. Mercury's aphelion (farthest) distance to the Sun is 43.5 million miles.
  11. Light from our Solar System's Sun takes a little over three minutes to reach Mercury.
  12. It takes Mercury 88 Earth days to complete an orbit around the Sun.
  13. Mercury has no known moons (natural satellites).
  14. The planet Mercury has no rings.
  15. Mercury doesn't have an atmosphere. It has a thin exosphere. Its exosphere contains helium, hydrogen, sodium, oxygen and potassium.
  16. The conditions on Mercury make it virtually impossible for life to evolve as we know it.

More Planet Facts

Additional Resources on the Planet Mercury