THE PLANET MERCURY

The Planet Mercury.
is the closest planet to the Sun" and the "smallest" among the eight planets in our Solar System. It has a "rocky surface" and **no atmosphere** to speak of, which means temperatures on Mercury vary dramatically—extremely hot during the day and freezing cold at night.

Mercury orbits the Sun very quickly, completing one orbit in just **88 Earth days**, which is why it was named after the Roman messenger god known for speed. Despite being so close to the Sun, **it is not the hottest planet**—Venus holds that title due to its thick atmosphere.

The surface of Mercury is **covered with craters**, similar to our Moon, showing that it has been geologically inactive for billions of years. Because of its thin exosphere (not a full atmosphere), it cannot support life as we know it.

Mercury has no moons and no rings, and it is visible from Earth without a telescope just before sunrise or after sunset, often appearing as a bright star near the horizon.