AST101H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Mariner 10, Giant-Impact Hypothesis, Geology Of The Moon

• School: UTSG
• Department: Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Course: AST101H1
• Professor: Ian Shelton

Document Summary

Name the planet mercury was named for the winged messenger of the gods in. Location mercury is the closest planet to the sun, with an average distance of approximately 36 million miles. In fact, the sun appears approximately 2. 5 times larger in mercury"s sky than in the sky of the earth. Size mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system, measuring approximately. 3:2 spin-orbit 2 mercury was once thought to have a synchronous rotation. In other words, the planet"s rotational period equals its orbital period (1:1 spin-orbit). However, radar studies in 1965 discovered mercury"s period of rotation is actually. Further investigation of this discovery showed that the rotation period of mercury is exactly two-thirds of its period of revolution, indicating a 3:2 spin-orbit. This means the planet rotates 3 times during 2 revolutions around the sun. Like other objects in the solar system, mercury initially rotated very quickly shortly after its formation (10 hours or less).