Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system only slightly larger than Earth's Moon. Data received late Sept. 1, 2021, from NASAs Perseverance rover indicate the team has achieved its goal of successfully coring a Mars rock. Mercury may have water ice at its north and south poles inside deep craters, but only in regions in permanent shadows. Mercury boasts an orbit that is the most elliptical of all of the planets, stretched out from a perfect circle. The given google map is not comfortable to view all the places as per your expectation then to view street maps, local places see our detailed map here. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. At its closest, it is 48 million miles from Earth; at its furthest, it is 138 million miles from Earth. When it is closest to the sun, it is only 29 million miles (47 million km), but at its farthest, the distance to Mercury is 43 million miles (70 million km). The Mercurial atmosphere by comparison is virtually nonexistent, composed mostly of oxygen, sodium, and hydrogen. Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. No, Mercury has been visited by spacecraft from Earth, but no human has ever gone into orbit around Mercury, let alone stepped on the surface. Mercurys orbit is 36 million miles (57.9 million kilometers) away from the sun on average. Outward from the Sun, the planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, followed by the dwarf planet Pluto. The miles based distance from Earth to Mercury is 5354. Calculating the A.U. | The Astronomical League From an average distance of 484 million miles (778 million kilometers), Jupiter is 5.2 astronomical units away from the Sun. The distance from Mercury to the Earth varies greatly as both planets orbit the Sun. Day length: 58.646 Earth days. Observers throughout history have attempted to measure the distance between the Earth and the Sun. Earth to Mercury travel route / road map is available. Its also disputably our closest neighbour! Improvements in propulsion aren't the most important determining factor in terms of how long the voyage will take. )This bizarre orbit confused early astronomers as they tried to piece together how the solar system worked. About 18 copies of the planet would fit inside ours, as it's only about the width of the Atlantic Ocean. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! The temperature fluctuations on Mercurys surface are drastic; alternating between extremely hot when facing the sun, and freezing when facing away from the sun. But only a few spacecraft have traveled to it. Distance between Earth and Mercury is 8617 KM. 275 likes, 4 comments - Quotes | Facts (@go.to.astronomy) on Instagram on April 29, 2023: "Neil deGrasse Tyson demonstrates the distance between the Earth and . 0.54887587 Astronomical Units, or Mercury's surface temperatures are both extremely hot and cold. Mercury is the first planet from Sun and Earth is the third planet from the Sun. The planets orbit is smaller than those of other bodies orbiting the Sun because of its close proximity to our star. Using the fastest spacecraft ever launched, a mission to outer space named New Horizons, it would take 40 days. Instead, its vast atmosphere gives way to a liquid mixture of water, methane, and ammonia. Aphelion. Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei could detect the phases of Venus with his telescope, but not the phases of Mercury. On average, Mercury is closer to Earth for a longer period than any other planet, though Venus passes slightly closer at its nearest point. What does the Sun look like from Mercury? Mercury spins slowly compared to Earth, so one day lasts a long time. equivalent to 0.563144 Astronomical Units. Light years measure the distance light is able to travel in the span of one Earth year. Mercury rises just before the Sun. Orbit of Venus - Wikipedia (Image credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO/Genna Duberstein), Star Trek's bad captains: Celebrating Starfleet's less-than-perfect commanding officers, Best free Star Trek: TNG & Picard 3D prints. astronomical unit (AU, or au), a unit of length effectively equal to the average, or mean, distance between Earth and the Sun, defined as 149,597,870.7 km (92,955,807.3 miles). Nevertheless, the amount of time depends on the purpose of the flight. . The total straight line distance between Earth and Mercury is 8617 KM (kilometers) and 900. They rose as the planet's interior cooled and contracted over the billions of years since Mercury formed. Mercury spins relatively slowly on its axis given its small size. An artistic interpretation of Curiositys view high up on a Martian mountain was created by mission team members. Your Guide to the Solar System and the Night Sky. What Do Astronomers Mean by Light Pollution? In Depth | Jupiter - NASA Solar System Exploration Because Mercury is so close to the sun, the Hubble Space Telescope, which has captured images of a number of bodies in the solar system, cannot photograph the planet's rocky surface. Mercury crossed the face of the sun on May 9, 2016 during a rare transit that delighted skywatchers around the world. New Horizons is traveling at about 80,000 kilometers per hour. Researchers will use Webb to observe 17 actively forming planetary systems. Even though Mercury is the closest planet to the sun it is still not the hottest; that honor goes to Venus because it has an atmosphere that traps heat (unlike Mercury) and it is still pretty close to the sun. The average distance from Mercury to Earth is 56.97 million miles or 0.61 AU. Neptunes year is extremely long, the longest of the eight planets at 165 Earth years. Seasons are caused by a tilt in the axis. Distances of the Planets From the Sun in Light Years BepiColombo launched on October 20, 2018, and will orbit the planet by 2025. In the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes," Calvin and his classmate Susie give a presentation about Mercury, in which Calvin's contribution is full of questionable information: "The planet Mercury was named after a Roman god with winged feet," says Calvin. Below is a table of the distances between each of the planets in our solar system. Astrophotography with a film camera: Is it possible? The same thing happens in reverse at sunset for other parts of the surface. This image is a composite view of Mercury during the 7.5 hour event as seen by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory during the event. Distance of Mercury from Earth between January 1600 and December 2499, Best Places to See the 2024 American Eclipse Based on Historical Weather Data. Mercury likes to keep things simple. Average distance between Earth and moon is 384,400km Planet Average Diameter (km) Mercury 4,879 Venus 12,104 Mars 6,771 Jupiter 139,822 Saturn 116,464 Uranus 50,724 Neptune 49,244 Total 380,008 Cool Cosmos is an IPAC website. Mars is closer in size to this planet than to any other in the solar system, being only about 1,200 miles larger. We can observe Mercury a couple of times every year from the earth with the naked eye. 9 miles. 20 How many rings does Earth have? It captured most of the high-quality images of the tiny planet we enjoy today. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency-led Hinode solar mission also captured Mercury crossing the sun. Mercury does not have a normal atmosphere (with air or clouds) which explains why it achieves freezing temperatures on the side hidden from the sun despite being so close to the sun (cannot trap heat). At their closest, the gap between them is 38 million kilometers, and at their furthest, 261 million kilometers. on earth, the scale would read 38 lbs. It only has traces of ice at its poles snuggled in craters where it is sheltered from the sun. In terms of volume, 24,462 Mercurys can fit inside the mammoth Jupiter. It is the closest planet to the Sun, but its actually not the hottest. Light years measure the distance light is able to travel in the span of one Earth year. During the daytime, the surface of Mercury at the equator rises to 700 Kelvin (427 degrees C). 9 How long is a day in Mercury? Light takes 4 minutes and 56.2129 seconds to travel from Mercury and arrive to us. Exploring the planet closest to the sun is a tall order. Based on Government Sponsored Research NAS7-03001 and NNN12AA01C. . Size and Distance With a radius of 1,516 miles (2,440 kilometers), Mercury is a little more than 1/3 the width of Earth. The main reason for the planets to vary their distance is due to elliptical orbits. Distance between Earth and Mercury - Planetary distance calculator Mercury's magnetic field is offset relative to the planet's equator. By contrast, the Mercurial climate is windless and stormless due to its extremely sparse atmosphere. Contents1 How far away is Mercury than the sun? Like Venus, Mercury also undergoes transits, passing between the Earth and the sun about 13 times each century. The smallest planet in our solar system and nearest to the Sun, Mercury is only slightly larger than Earth's Moon. Since the orbit is elliptical and not circular, sometimes it is farther from the sun, and sometimes it is closer. And unlike a road trip, the beginning and end point of solar system journeys are constantly changing position, sometimes ideally lined up but other times not. It's suspected that about 5,000 years ago a comet swept within 23 million miles of the Sun, closer than the innermost planet Mercury. Time Difference between Earth and Mercury. Visit NASA Space Place for more kid-friendly facts. This is about the difference between a baseball and a golf ball. If it is just a flyby, it would take a short time because you would maximize speed. Mercury spins slowly compared to Earth, so one day lasts a long time. Its a little bigger than Earths Moon. Our solar system consists of our star, the Sun, and everything bound to it by gravity - the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; dwarf planets such as Pluto; dozens of moons; and millions of asteroids, comets, and meteoroids. Planetary Size and Distance Comparison - National Geographic Society Sunlight takes 3 minutes to reach Mercury. At this distance, the onboard camera is also far enough to capture Earth's entire sunlit surface in a single photograph. The value of the distance of Mercury from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the an interval of 1 day. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Craters and features on Mercury are named after famous deceased artists, musicians, or authors, including children's author Dr. Seuss and dance pioneer Alvin Ailey. It wasn't until Nicolaus Copernicus established that planets traveled around the sun rather than around the Earth that the matter was cleared up. Phil Davis & Steve Carney Fine particles of crushed rock are more reflective than large pieces, so the rays look brighter. Some of the components of the exosphere are elements like helium from the surface spewed off from the radioactive decay of planetary elements. Like its fellow terrestrial planets, Mercury has a central core, a rocky mantle, and a solid crust. Mercury is appropriately named for the swiftest of the ancient Roman gods. Mercury is the closest planet to the sun and the smallest planet in the solar system it is only a little larger than Earth's moon. Astronomers also use other units to express distances between celestial bodies. In the travel map towards Mercury you may find en route hotels, tourist spots, picnic spots, petrol pumps and various religious places. Time Difference . 25 Can humans live Uranus? This bizarre orbit confused early astronomers as they tried to piece together how the solar system worked. The distance of Mercury from Earth is currently 88,802,401 kilometers, equivalent to 0.593607 Astronomical Units . The smallest planet in our solar system and nearest to the Sun, Mercury is only slightly larger than Earth's Moon. Just how far away is Mercury from Earth, the Sun, and the other planets? If Earth were the size of a nickel, Mercury would be about as big as a blueberry. This gives Earth time to catch up to it about once every three and a half months. Mercury takes 88 earth days to orbit around the sun. If you were in a place that had bad weather, for example, you missed your chance and had to wait for the next one," Joseph Gurman said in a statement. Average distance from the sun: Perihelion. Venus is the slightly hotter of the two planets, boasting highs up to 872F (467C). The Moon is an average of 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers) away from Earth. Its only slightly larger than the Moon with a diameter of 3,031.9 miles. SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket aborts triple satellite launch at last minute, SpaceX Dragon debris lights up sky in bright fireball over western US during reentry (video), Europe's JUICE Jupiter probe has an antenna glitch in deep space, Your monthly guide to stargazing & space science, Subscribe for just 1 per issue with our Spring Savings, Issues delivered straight to your door or device. Mercury is the second densest planet, after Earth. While the Plott hound is the state dog of North Carolina, it is a very rare breed and not well-known in other states. In terms of mass, Jupiter is almost 6,000 times bigger. One astronomical unit (abbreviated as AU), is the distance from the Sun to Earth. From the surface of Mercury, the Sun would appear more than three times as large as it does when viewed from Earth, and the sunlight would be as much as seven times brighter. An artistic interpretation of Curiositys view high up on a Martian mountain was created by mission team members. There are no signs of life on Mercury because no known life form would stand a chance in those conditions. It turns so slowly that it completes three spins after it has done two full trips around the sun. It is the first planet from the Sun and also the first of the terrestrial planets. 13 How far away is Mercury from Earth? The same thing happens in reverse at sunset. You can only see it when it is farthest from the sun because the rest of the time, the sun is too bright to let you see it. Nola Taylor Tillman is a contributing writer for Space.com. 28 How is 1 hour in Space 7 years on Earth? 7 Is mercury like Earth? A new study finally reveals higher-frequency X-rays and explains why they eluded another mission 30 years ago. Learn more here: https://theplanets.org/distances-between-planets/. 21 Does Mercury have a nickname? It used a gravity assist from Venus to change its trajectory mid-flight. The given west direction from Earth is only approximate. Bill Dunford 10 Does Mercury rotate? Composed of multiple images, this enhanced-color mosaic of a hill in Jezero Crater was created using Perseverance's Mastcam-Z camera system. About 18 copies of the planet would fit inside ours, as its only about the width of the Atlantic Ocean. Design & Development: Mercury isn't that far away, as far as planets go. Depending on the time of year the distance can also differ significantly. We discuss the answer in both miles and kilometers. Why they named a planet after this guy, I can't imagine.". (Venus' transits are significantly more rare, occurring only once every 243 years.). The precise distance between the two planets depends on where they are in their respective orbits. Space is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. At its closest (perihelion), it lies 28.5 million miles away; at its furthest (aphelion), it lies 43.5 million miles away. Compare that to the 365 and a quarter spins Earth does by the time it finishes one full trip around the sun. The closest planet to Earth in our solar system is the planet Venus, yet sometimes Mercury may also be closer. The planet orbits the Sun once every 225 days [3] and . When they are at their closest, they are only 48 million miles (77.3 million km) apart. Video advice: How far is Mercury from Earth? Responsibility disclaimer and privacy policy. A new study finds the speed of sound is slower on Mars and that, mostly, a deep silence prevails. When not putting words on a page, I enjoy reading, hiking in the great outdoors, and playing with my dog. How Far Away Is Mercury From Earth | Science-Atlas.com When this happens, Mercury and Earth would be separated by only 77 million km (48 million miles). This tiniest of planets has neither moons nor rings, though Saturn makes up for that with plenty of both. Mercury has had an unfair share of bombardment by numerous bodies in its billions of years of existence because it has no atmosphere to protect its surface. Using historical cloud coverage data we suggest the locations that could provide the better chances to have clear skies on April 8, 2024 to observe the eclipse. The distance between Venus and Earth varies depending on where the two planets are in their orbits. Venus is hotter. Drought is a complicated problem that requires lots of data. Satellites from NASA and its partners help collect that data. Moore Boeck, A 3D model of Mercury, the innermost planet. A New Discovery In Fermilab Could Change The Laws Of Physics! Thank you for reading! For this reason, to calculate the distance, we use the average to measure how far planets are from one another. The number of confirmed exoplanets has crossed the 5,000 mark.