Mercury

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mercury

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the orbital period?88 Earth days
2. What is the average orbital velocity?107,000 mph (172,000 km/h)
3. What is Mercury and why is it named after the messenger god?Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun and it moves around the Sun the fastest of all planets. It is named after the Roman messenger god Mercury because the planet is so quick in its orbit.
4. How hot and how cold does Mercury get?During the day the surface can reach about 800°F (430°C), hot enough to melt lead. At night it can drop to about -290°F (-180°C) because Mercury has almost no atmosphere to keep the heat.

Terrestrial Planet: A planet composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals, with a solid surface.
Planetary Differentiation: The process by which a planet separates into layers based on density, typically with heavier elements sinking to the core.
Solar Wind: A stream of charged particles released from the upper atmosphere of the Sun.
Magnetosphere: The region surrounding a planet where its magnetic field can deflect most of the charged particles of the solar wind.