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Why is Mercury so hot and cold?

Updated: 8/11/2023
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βˆ™ 14y ago

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Mercury is both a hot and a cold planet. During the day, it gets 750 degrees Fahrenheit but at night it drops to below -300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mercury is close to the Sun and has no atmosphere, so the Sun's powerful rays can easily heat the surface. However, on the side away from the Sun, all of the heat is radiated off into space.

Because the planet turns so slowly, each period of daytime or night is approximately 88 Earth days in length.

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βˆ™ 13y ago
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βˆ™ 14y ago

The planet Mercury does not rotate on an axis relative to the Sun. Consequently, the side facing the Sun is very hot while the back of the planet away from the Sun, never receiving warming sunlight is relatively cold. Or so it was thought, it has now been pr oven that Mercury does rotate, albeit very slowly. It is close to the sun and lacks a protective atmosphere

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βˆ™ 10y ago

I would say - it is KNOWN that Mercury rotates only once in about 58.6 Earth days. So, for many days, one side is facing the Sun with the little planet having a backside that is frozen - fire on one side and ice on t'other.

Also, there's no atmosphere and no oceans to spread heat to the "dark side".

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βˆ™ 12y ago

mercurys atmosphere is hot when niko serdenes is there and cold when he leaves and lena takes his place.

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βˆ™ 6y ago

There is virtually no atmosphere on Mercury: the planet's gravity is too weak to hold on to any atmosphere.

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βˆ™ 11y ago

No, it is just right.

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