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The Future of Space Travel
See Also:
Mercury Seven - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Constellations
The Planet Mercury
The planet Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system, and the one that is closest to the sun. This proximity to the sun has made it difficult to study the planet. The closest look that we have ever had was in 1974 and 1975 when the unmanned Mariner 10 was sent to map the surface of Mercury. Only about 40% to 45% of the surface was actually mapped.
Mercury resembles our moon in appearance as it is heavily cratered. There is an atmosphere of sorts on Mercury but not one that would sustain life as we know it. The atmosphere is very unstable and is made up of hydrogen, helium, oxygen, sodium, calcium and potassium.
Records of studies made of Mercury date back to 300 BC. The name "Mercury" was given to the planet by the Romans after the god Mercurius. Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese cultures refer to Mercury as the water star based on the Five Elements. Other cultures have called the planet by other names. The Babylonians, for example, called the planet Nabu or Nebu after the messenger to the Gods in their mythology.
The temperature on Mercury varies. The average temperature is 179° C, but the extremes are a low of -183 °C to a high of 427° C. Sunlight on Mercury is six and a half times stronger than it is on Earth.
There is evidence that water does exist on Mercury despite the extreme temperature variations. The bottoms of some of the deepest craters near the poles are never exposed to direct sunlight. Temperatures in these areas remain far lower than the global average, so it is possible for ice to exist. |
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More articles:
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Solar System Exploration: Planets: Jupiter
Mars - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Solar System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
History of Astronomy
Inspired by Maria Mitchell
Generations of women scientists in all of the scientific disciplines have been inspired by Maria Mitchell. Ms. Mitchell was a woman ahead of her time who left an indelible mark on science and the role that women play in scientific research and discovery.
Maria Mitchell was born in 1818. A Quaker couple, William and Lydia Mitchell, had 10 children; Maria was the third child. She attended Cyrus Peirce's School for Young Ladies in her early years, then was taught mostly by her father. After that she was mostly self-educated, but she was the first woman to ever have an advanced degree awarded. It was awarded by Indiana Hanover College in 1853 after she had already discovered a comet, which is named after her. She was also the first woman ever appointed to the Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Maria Mitchell was the most famous American scientist of either sex in the nineteenth century. She was a most remarkable woman who left her mark on astronomy long before women gained the right to vote. In 1847, Maria discovered what we know today as the Comet Mitchell 1847VI, and that was just the first in a long list of accomplishments.
Maria Mitchell is still inspiring young astronomers today. The Maria Mitchell Observatory was established next to her home in Nantucket, Massachusetts, in 1908, and it is still very much operational. There is an extensive public education program, and the observatory sponsors research by undergraduate students. The Maria Mitchell Observatory is funded by the National Science Foundation.
The Maria Mitchell Observatory is also home to over 8,000 historic photographic glass plates. The plates were taken by observatory astronomers and students between 1910 and 1995 and span nearly a century of the Nantucket night skies.
Related Topics: Binoculars for Astronomy,
Carl Sagan, The Planet Uranus
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