Is Mercury our best hope for colonisation? Once seen as a cold, dead little world, it is now emerging as an exciting alternative to Mars and the Moon.
X
Next
Triumph as space probe reaches Mercury
Is Mercury our best hope for colonisation? Once seen as a cold, dead little world, it is now emerging as an exciting alternative to Mars and the Moon.
X
PreviousNext
What's happening?
We will soon know a lot more about the smallest planet in our solar system. A new mission will visit Mercury and take pictures of the planet.
Find out more
Mercury is named after the speedy Roman god of messengers. It moves at over 100,000 mph.
And it is a weird place. A day is the same length as 55 Earth days. It can get as cold as -180C. Top temperatures reach 450C.
Some experts think Mercury is an ancient world. There are volcanoes and gases that could hold the key to life.
Some people think the Moon or Mars would be a better place to live. But there are challenges. Lunar dust is dangerous. The air on Mars is freezing cold and poisonous.
Mercury has water in its atmosphereThe layer of gases surrounding a planet or moon, held in place by that planet's gravity. Small planets and moons have weak gravitational fields, and therefore only a very thin atmosphere. and in parts of the ground.
X
Previous
Is Mercury our best hope for colonisation?
Some say
No! Mercury is dangerous. It has crazy weather. It is too close to the Sun. Because there is no atmosphere, we would have no protection!
Others think
Yes! Mercury should give us hope. It has precious minerals and lots of solar energy. We could use it for mining and building spaceships.
Keywords
Atmosphere - The layer of gases surrounding a planet or moon, held in place by that planet's gravity. Small planets and moons have weak gravitational fields, and therefore only a very thin atmosphere.
Triumph as space probe reaches Mercury
Different minerals appear in a rainbow of colors in this image of Mercury from NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft © NASA Glossary
Atmosphere - The layer of gases surrounding a planet or moon, held in place by that planet's gravity. Small planets and moons have weak gravitational fields, and therefore only a very thin atmosphere.