SOLAR SYSTEM

Detailed explanation-1: -Surface. Mercury’s surface resembles that of Earth’s Moon, scarred by many impact craters resulting from collisions with meteoroids and comets. 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.

Detailed explanation-2: -Mercury’s surface temperatures range from a scorching 467 degrees Celsius (872 degrees Fahrenheit) to a bone-chilling-183 degrees Celsius (-300 degrees Fahrenheit). Like our Moon, the planet is heavily cratered, showing impact scars from countless meteor bombardments.

Detailed explanation-3: -The small planet is riddled with craters, but none as spectacular as the Caloris Basin. “Basin” is what geologists call craters larger than about 186 miles (300 kilometers) in diameter. Caloris is about 950 miles (1, 525 kilometers) across and is ringed by mile-high mountains.

Detailed explanation-4: -Mercury is the most cratered planet in our solar system. Mercury’s atmosphere contains oxygen, hydrogen, sodium, potassium and helium while its surface is made up of plains and craters. Its surface is similar to that of the moon.

Detailed explanation-5: -The Caloris Basin in Mercury is a huge crater left by a meteor impact that happened about 3.8 billion years ago. The crater is about 1, 550 km (963 miles) in diameter, which would be enough to fit part of Europe from Portugal to Germany. Astronomers estimate the object that caused it was at least 100 km (62 miles) long.

Detailed explanation-6: -Craters are the most common surface features on many solid planets and moons-Mercury and our Moon are covered with craters. This portion of the Moon is covered by numerous circular holes. These are impact craters, each of which was formed when an asteroid or comet collided with the Moon’s surface.