Mercury Planet

# Mercury’s surface appears heavily cratered and is similar in appearance to the Moon’s, indicating that it has been geologically inactive for billions of years (because there is no atmosphere on Mercury).

# When viewed from Earth, the planet can only be seen near the western or eastern horizon during the early evening or early morning.

# It may appear as a bright star-like object but is less bright than Venus.

# Having almost no atmosphere to retain heat, it has surface temperatures that vary diurnally more than on any other planet in the Solar System (−173 °C at night to 427 °C during the day).

# Mercury is smaller than the largest natural satellites in the Solar System, Ganymede (largest moon of Jupiter) and Titan (largest moon of Saturn).

# However, Mercury is massive (has more mass) than Ganymede and Titan.

# Images obtained by MESSENGER spacecraft in 2004 have revealed evidence for pyroclastic flows (vulcanicity) and water ice at Mercury’s poles.