Mercury Monroe

Mercury, the winged footed, messenger of the Roman Gods.

Side facing Sun is about 700ºF Side away from Sun is about - 315ºF

Caloris impactor was massive.

Heat shield, for obvious reasons Photovoltaic cells Communications antenna

Mercury's rotation displays a 3:2 tidal lock with its orbit (59 day rotation, 88 day period)

Mercury is about a third of the size of Earth, yet its density is comparable to that of Earth. This indicates that Mercury has a large core roughly the size of Earth's moon or about 75% of the planet's radius. The core is likely composed of 60 to 70% iron by mass. The core makes up about 60% of the mass of the planet.

"Weird terrain" best describes this hilly, lineated region of Mercury. This area is at the antipodal point from the large Caloris basin. The shock wave produced by the Caloris impact was reflected and focused to this antipodal point, thus jumbling the crust and breaking it into a series of complex blocks. The area covered is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) on a side. (Copyright Calvin J. Hamilton; FDS 27370)antipodal

The first two transits of Mercury in the 21st century occurred in May 2003 and November The next transit will occur on May 9, 2016.

Caloric impact basin.

The abundance and length of the thrust faults indicate that the radius of Mercury decreased by 1-2 kilometers ( miles) after the solidification and impact cratering of the surface. This volume change probably was due to the cooling of the planet, following the formation of a metallic core three-fourths the size of the planet.

There were volcanoes on Mercury, but since it has been geologically dead for four billion years, the volcanoes are long dormant and extinct. Probably.

The magnetic field around Mercury is about 1% that of Earth. This is probably because the core has cooled. What is left of the magnetic field is probably because of the left-over magnetism in the iron. It is acting as a permanent magnet.

Goals: MESSENGER was designed to map the surface composition, study the magnetic field and interior structure of our solar system's smallest and innermost planet -- Mercury. It carries eight instruments to study Mercury's polar deposits, core and magnetic dynamo, crust and mantle, magnetosphere, crustal composition, geologic evolution and exosphere. Accomplishments: On March (UTC), MESSENGER became the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury. 3 Aug 2004: Launch ~~ 17 Mar 2011: Orbit Insertion at Mercury

Goals: MESSENGER was designed to map the surface composition, study the magnetic field and interior structure of our solar system's smallest and innermost planet -- Mercury. It carries eight instruments to study Mercury's polar deposits, core and magnetic dynamo, crust and mantle, magnetosphere, crustal composition, geologic evolution and exosphere. Accomplishments: On March (UTC), MESSENGER became the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury. 3 Aug 2004: Launch ~~ 17 Mar 2011: Orbit Insertion at Mercury To reach Mercury orbit, the spacecraft traveled 7.9 billion kilometers (4.9 billion miles). Uranus is 1.8 billion miles from Sun, and we are only.093 billion (93,000,000) miles from Sun The spacecraft circled our Sun 15 times before it settles in Mercury orbit.

1.Mercury's magnetic field is about _______________________ that of Earth. 2.The weak magnetic field is at least accountable by the ______________________________. 3.About _______% of the mass of Mercury is the Iron core. 4.Mercury has been geologically dead for about ___________________________ years. 5.The scarps on Mercury's surface were probably caused by ____________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______. 6.Mercury's rotational rate was first measured using _________________________________. 7.Why is Mercury never seen at midnight? ________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______ 8.What is the “Weird Terrain”? How is it thought to have been formed? Page 215. ____________________________________________________________ _______

1.Mercury's magnetic field is about _____1%______ that of Earth. 2.The weak magnetic field is at least accountable by the ______________________________. 3.About _______% of the mass of Mercury is the Iron core. 4.Mercury has been geologically dead for about ___________________________ years. 5.The scarps on Mercury's surface were probably caused by ____________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______. 6.Mercury's rotational rate was first measured using _________________________________. 7.Why is Mercury never seen at midnight? ________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______ 8.What is a scarp? How are they thought to have formed? Page 219. ____________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______

1.Mercury's magnetic field is about _____1%______ that of Earth. 2.The weak magnetic field is at least accountable by the Rotation of the Planet. 3.About _______% of the mass of Mercury is the Iron core. 4.Mercury has been geologically dead for about ___________________________ years. 5.The scarps on Mercury's surface were probably caused by ____________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______. 6.Mercury's rotational rate was first measured using _________________________________. 7.Why is Mercury never seen at midnight? ________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______ 8.What is a scarp? How are they thought to have formed? Page 219. ____________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______

1.Mercury's magnetic field is about _____1%______ that of Earth. 2.The weak magnetic field is at least accountable by the Rotation of the Planet. 3.About 60% of the mass of Mercury is the Iron core. 4.Mercury has been geologically dead for about _______________________years. 5.The scarps on Mercury's surface were probably caused by ____________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______. 6.Mercury's rotational rate was first measured using _________________________________. 7.Why is Mercury never seen at midnight? ________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______ 8.What is a scarp? How are they thought to have formed? Page 219. ____________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______

1.Mercury's magnetic field is about _____1%______ that of Earth. 2.The weak magnetic field is at least accountable by the Rotation of the Planet. 3.About 60% of the mass of Mercury is the Iron core. 4.Mercury has been geologically dead for about 4 billion (4,000,000,000) years. 5.The scarps on Mercury's surface were probably caused by ____________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______. 6.Mercury's rotational rate was first measured using _________________________________. 7.Why is Mercury never seen at midnight? ________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______ 8.What is a scarp? How are they thought to have formed? Page 219. ____________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______

1.Mercury's magnetic field is about _____1%______ that of Earth. 2.The weak magnetic field is at least accountable by the Rotation of the Planet. 3.About 60% of the mass of Mercury is the Iron core. 4.Mercury has been geologically dead for about 4 billion (4,000,000,000) years. 5.The scarps on Mercury's surface were probably caused by the cooling (and shrinking/wrinkling of the hardened skin). 6.Mercury's rotational rate was first measured using _________________________________. 7.Why is Mercury never seen at midnight? ________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______ 8.What is a scarp? How are they thought to have formed? Page 219. ____________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______

1.Mercury's magnetic field is about _____1%______ that of Earth. 2.The weak magnetic field is at least accountable by the Rotation of the Planet. 3.About 60% of the mass of Mercury is the Iron core. 4.Mercury has been geologically dead for about 4 billion (4,000,000,000) years. 5.The scarps on Mercury's surface were probably caused by the cooling (and shrinking/wrinkling of the hardened skin). 6.Mercury's rotational rate was first measured using _________________________________. 7.Why is Mercury never seen at midnight? ________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______ 8.What is a scarp? How are they thought to have formed? Page 219. ____________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______

1.Mercury's magnetic field is about _____1%______ that of Earth. 2.The weak magnetic field is at least accountable by the Rotation of the Planet. 3.About 60% of the mass of Mercury is the Iron core. 4.Mercury has been geologically dead for about 4 billion (4,000,000,000) years. 5.The scarps on Mercury's surface were probably caused by the cooling (and shrinking/wrinkling of the hardened skin). 6.Mercury's rotational rate was first measured using Mercury's rotational rate was first measured using radar and Doppler. 7.Why is Mercury never seen at midnight? ________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______ 8.What is a scarp? How are they thought to have formed? Page 219. ____________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______

1.Mercury's magnetic field is about _____1%______ that of Earth. 2.The weak magnetic field is at least accountable by the Rotation of the Planet. 3.About 60% of the mass of Mercury is the Iron core. 4.Mercury has been geologically dead for about 4 billion (4,000,000,000) years. 5.The scarps on Mercury's surface were probably caused by the cooling (and shrinking/wrinkling of the hardened skin). 6.Mercury's rotational rate was first measured using Mercury's rotational rate was first measured using radar and Doppler. 7.Why is Mercury never seen at midnight? ? It is too close to the Sun, and is with the Sun behind the Earth. 8.What is a scarp? How are they thought to have formed? Page 219. ____________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______

1.Mercury's magnetic field is about 1% that of Earth. 2.The weak magnetic field is at least accountable by the Rotation of the Planet. 3.About 60% of the mass of Mercury is the Iron core. 4.Mercury has been geologically dead for about 4 billion (4,000,000,000) years. 5.The scarps on Mercury's surface were probably caused by the cooling (and shrinking/wrinkling of the hardened skin). 6.Mercury's rotational rate was first measured using radar and Doppler. 7.Why is Mercury never seen at midnight? It is too close to the Sun, and is with the Sun behind the Earth. 8.What is the “Weird Terrain”? How is it thought to have been formed? Page 215. A large impact meteor at the Caloris Impact crater.