Mercury
Detailed InformationAbout Mercury
Mercury is a world of extremes. It's the smallest planet in our solar system and the closest to the Sun, experiencing temperature swings from 800°F (430°C) during the day to -290°F (-180°C) at night. Despite being the nearest planet to our star, Mercury is not the hottest planet – that title belongs to Venus. Mercury has the most eccentric orbit of all planets, and it completes three rotations for every two orbits around the Sun.
Quick Facts
- Closest planet to the Sun
- Smallest planet in our solar system
- No atmosphere to retain heat
- One day lasts 176 Earth days
Current Position
Equatorial Coordinates
Right Ascension: 22h57m54s
Declination: -02°51'56"
Constellation: Pisces
Horizontal Coordinates
Azimuth: 253.1°
Altitude: 15.2°
Elongation: 5.2°
Distance Information
Earth Distance: 0.619 AU
Sun Distance: 0.380 AU
Earth Distance: 92634688 km
Visual Information
Magnitude: 4.9
Angular Diameter: 10.9"
Phase Angle: 166.4°
Phase Information
Illumination: 1.4%
Orbital Elements
Basic Parameters
Semi-major Axis: 0.387099 AU
Eccentricity: 0.205636
Inclination: 7.005°
Angular Elements
Ascending Node: 48.331°
Argument of Perihelion: 77.458°
Mean Anomaly: 151.448°
Time Elements
Epoch: J2000.0
Orbital Period: 88.0 days
Period: 0.2 years
Derived Quantities
Physical Properties
Mass: 3.30e+23 kg
Radius: 2440 km
Density: 5.427 g/cm³
Gravitational Properties
Surface Gravity: 3.70 m/s²
Escape Velocity: 4.25 km/s
Orbital Characteristics
Perihelion: 0.307 AU
Aphelion: 0.467 AU
Orbital Velocity: 47.87 km/s
Rotation Properties
Rotation Period: 1407.60 hours
Axial Tilt: 0.03°
Annual Trajectory Chart
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Daily Altitude Chart
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Time Settings
Location Settings
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