Mercury

Question 1

Mercury is named for Roman deity who was that?

Answer 1

The Messenger of gods

Question 2

Why is Mercury so hard to observe?

Answer 2

It’s so close to the Sun and can only be seen at certain times of the day.

Question 3

Who are the features on Mercury named by?

Answer 3

Artists, writers, cultural figures

Question 4

What is the surface feature that are cliffs formed when the planet cooled and shrank causing wrinkling?

Answer 4

Scarps

Question 5

Which planet has the most elliptical orbit?

Answer 5

Mercury (Hg)

Question 6

Why does Mercury not have an atmosphere?

Answer 6

Lose escape velocity

Question 7

Why does Mercury have a weak magnetic field?

Answer 7

Slow rotation low core convection

Question 8

What is Mercury’s period of rotation?

Answer 8

59 days

Question 9

What is Mercury’s orbital period?

Answer 9

88 days

Question 10

Who made the first telescopic observations of Mercury?

Answer 10

Galileo

Question 11

Relate Mercury’s size and mass to Earth

Answer 11

1/3 and 1/10

Question 12

What is odd about these detailed pictures of Mercury?

Answer 12

Only showed about 1/2 the planet

Question 13

How many AU’s is Mercury from the Sun?

Answer 13

.04 AU’s

Question 14

Mercury never exceeds which angular distance?

Answer 14

28 degrees

Question 15

How long is Mercury visible for?

Answer 15

Less than 2 hours

Question 16

When are the best images of Mercury taken?

Answer 16

Aphelion -max elongation

Question 17

Why is there such a high temperature difference?

Answer 17

There’s no atmosphere

Question 18

Which craft took the first pictures of Mercury?

Answer 18

Mariner 10

Question 19

Explain Mercury’s spin-orbit resonance

Answer 19

3 rotations for every 2 revolutions

Question 20

What is responsible for Mercury’s 3:2 resonance?

Answer 20

Suns tidal force Keplers 2nd Law

Question 21

How old are the scarps?

Answer 21

4 billion years old

Question 22

Name the result of the great geologic event on Mercury.

Answer 22

Caloris Basin

Question 23

What is the axial tilt?

Answer 23

0

Question 24

How many moons does Mercury have?

Answer 24

0

Question 25

What is Mercury’s core made of?

Answer 25

Iron

Question 26

What were the source of the inter crater plains?

Answer 26

Lava flows

Question 27

What is the density of Mercury?

Answer 27

5400 kg/m^3

Question 28

The surface temperature on Mercury is between?

Answer 28

800F-300F

Question 29

Almost all craters on Mercury are a result of?

Answer 29

Impacts