Download Mercury Fun Facts

Mercury Fun Facts
Astronomy
Name:
Period:
Using the words below, fill in the blanks to the Mercury paragraphs
Moving
Heat
Closest
Pluto
Axis
sunset
moons
Sun
Mercury
sky
Venus
temperature
atmosphere
surface
Seasons
Mercury is the planet _________________________ to the Sun in our Solar System and the
fastest _________________________ planet in our Solar System. It is the second-hottest
planet in our Solar System (only _________________________ is hotter). Mercury is so close
to the _________________________ that from Earth, you can only see it near sunrise or
_________________________. Mercury has no _________________________. Mercury was
named after Mercury, the mythical Roman winged messenger.
This small, rocky planet has almost no atmosphere. Since the atmosphere is so slight, the
_________________________ would appear pitch black (except for the sun, stars, and other
planets, when visible), even during the day. If you were on the surface of
_________________________, the Sun would look almost three times as big as it does from
Earth! Also, there is no "greenhouse effect" on Mercury. When the Sun sets, the temperature
drops very quickly since the _________________________ does not help retain the
_________________________.
Mercury has a very elliptical orbit and a huge range in temperature. During the long daytime
(which lasts 88 Earth days or an entire Mercurian year), the _________________________ is
hotter than an oven; during the long night (the same length), the temperature is colder than a
freezer.
Mercury is about 3,031 miles (4,878 km) in diameter. It is the smallest planet in our Solar
System (_________________________, now not considered to be a planet, is smaller).
Mercury is only slightly larger than our moon. Mercury is a heavily cratered planet; its surface is
similar to the _________________________ of the Earth's moon.
There are no seasons on Mercury. _________________________ are caused by the tilt of the
axis relative to the planet's orbit. Since Mercury's _________________________ is directly
perpendicular to its motion (it is not tilted), it has no seasons.
Use your brain or the text to answer the following:
1. Is Mercury composed of rock or gases?_________________
2. Since Mercury is close to the Sun, it gets very hot. Does it ever get cold?
_____________________
3. Does Mercury have a thick or thin atmosphere? __________________
4. Is Mercury closer to the size of the Earth or our moon? __________________
5. If you stood on the surface of Mercury, what color would the sky be?
_____________________
6. We have four seasons on Earth. Are there any seasons on Mercury? ______________
7. How many moons does Mercury have?_______________________
8. Would a person feel very light or very heavy on the surface of Mercury?
___________________
9. Is Mercury the smallest planet in the Solar System? ______________________
10. Is the surface of Mercury covered with craters, molten iron, or oceans?
___________________