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Explore Mercury

Explore the secrets of Mercury, from its heavily cratered surface to its extreme temperatures, and discover how humanity continues to unveil the story of the innermost planet in our solar system.

57.9M km
Distance from Sun
4,879 km
Diameter
-173°C to 427°C
Temperature
88 Earth days
Year Length

Physical Characteristics

Surface Composition

Mercury’s surface is rocky and heavily cratered, composed mainly of silicate minerals and metallic elements like iron.

Silicates ~55%
Iron & Metals ~45%

Exosphere

Mercury doesn’t have a true atmosphere, but a thin exosphere made of atoms blasted off the surface by solar wind and micrometeoroids.

Oxygen 42%
Sodium 29%
Hydrogen 22%

Gravity

Mercury has about 38% of Earth’s gravity. A person who weighs 100 kg on Earth would weigh approximately 38 kg on Mercury.

Earth
100 kg
Mercury
38 kg
38% of Earth's gravity

Day Length

A day on Mercury (one full rotation) lasts about 59 Earth days, but due to its orbital pattern, one full solar day (sunrise to sunrise) is 176 Earth days.

24h 00m
59d (rotation)
One solar day on Mercury = 176 Earth days

Surface Features

Mercury Topographic Map
Scale:
1000 km
Elevation
High
Low

Notable Landmarks

Caloris Basin

One of the largest known impact craters in the solar system, stretching about 1,550 km (960 miles) across Mercury's surface.

Impact was so intense it deformed terrain on the opposite side of the planet

Carnegie Rupes

A massive cliff over 600 km (370 miles) long, formed as Mercury’s interior cooled and contracted, buckling its surface.

Evidence of planetary shrinkage over time

Raditladi Basin

A relatively young impact basin about 263 km (163 miles) wide, showing signs of tectonic and volcanic activity.

Its freshness helps study Mercury’s geologic activity

North Polar Ice Deposits

Permanently shadowed craters near Mercury’s poles contain water ice, despite the planet’s scorching daytime temperatures.

Ice is preserved in regions that never receive sunlight

Mercury's Moons

Mercury has no moons. Its close proximity to the Sun and relatively small mass make it unable to retain natural satellites.

In contrast, even smaller planets like Pluto can have moons due to their distance from the Sun.

Mercury Exploration History

1970s
First FlyBys
2000s
First Orbit
2010s
Advanced Orbiters
Mariner 10

Mariner 10

1974–1975

The first spacecraft to visit Mercury. It performed three flybys, capturing the first close-up images and revealing Mercury's magnetic field and heavily cratered surface.

First Flyby Magnetic Field NASA
MESSENGER

MESSENGER

2004–2015

The first spacecraft to orbit Mercury. MESSENGER mapped 100% of the surface and revealed its chemical composition, internal structure, and evidence of water ice at the poles.

Orbiter Water Ice NASA
BepiColombo

BepiColombo

2018–Present

A joint mission by ESA and JAXA. BepiColombo is currently en route to Mercury with multiple flybys and will enter orbit in 2025 to study the planet's magnetosphere, surface, and exosphere in detail.

ESA / JAXA Dual Orbiter Launch 2018
No missions available for this category.

Current Mercury Missions

BepiColombo

Active
BepiColombo
Launch Date October 20, 2018
Arrival at Mercury Planned: 2025
Mission Type Orbiter (Dual)

BepiColombo is a joint ESA-JAXA mission that will study Mercury's surface, magnetic field, and exosphere using two orbiters: the MPO (Mercury Planetary Orbiter) and MMO (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter).

Latest Update:

Performed its fourth Mercury flyby in September 2024; continues trajectory corrections for 2025 orbit insertion.

Future Mercury Exploration

Upcoming Missions

BepiColombo Arrival

2025

BepiColombo, a joint ESA–JAXA mission, is scheduled to enter Mercury’s orbit in 2025 to begin its detailed scientific study of the planet’s surface, interior, exosphere, and magnetic field.

Dual-orbiter investigation of Mercury

Proposed Lander Concept

2030s+

While no lander is currently in development, several space agencies have proposed robotic landers to study Mercury’s surface composition and extreme thermal environment.

Requires advanced thermal shielding

Mercury Sample Return

2040s+

A theoretical mission concept to return surface material from Mercury to Earth for laboratory study. It would require overcoming extreme temperatures and high launch energy.

Technically challenging but scientifically valuable

Human Exploration

Inner Planet Concept
Crewed Mission Not Feasible
Surface Conditions 430°C to -180°C
Radiation Risk Extremely High

Due to Mercury’s lack of atmosphere, extreme temperatures, and close proximity to the Sun, human exploration or colonization is currently considered impractical. Robotic missions remain the only viable approach.

Challenges & Solutions

Extreme Temperatures

Mercury faces temperature swings from -180°C at night to 430°C during the day due to its thin exosphere and slow rotation.

Potential Solutions:
  • Thermal insulation systems
  • Night-side landing operations
  • Heat-resistant materials

Solar Radiation

Mercury is bombarded with intense solar radiation, posing a major hazard to both electronics and potential robotic landers.

Potential Solutions:
  • Hardened spacecraft shielding
  • Solar flux deflection panels
  • Orbiting at safer altitudes

Landing Precision

The Sun’s gravity makes it extremely difficult to enter and remain in Mercury orbit, let alone land on its surface safely.

Potential Solutions:
  • Multiple gravity assists
  • Advanced trajectory control
  • Heat-tolerant descent systems

Mercury Image Gallery

Mercury Global Mosaic

Global Color Mosaic

Created from MESSENGER images showing topography and surface color variation.

Caloris Basin

Caloris Basin

A massive cliff formed as Mercury's interior cooled and contracted.

Enhanced Color Mercury

Enhanced Color Mercury

False-color image highlighting compositional differences across Mercury’s surface.

Debussy Crater

Debussy Crater

A prominent rayed crater on Mercury, Debussy is one of the youngest large craters on the planet.

Raditladi Basin – young double-ring impact site

Raditladi Basin – young double-ring impact site

The 257 km-wide Raditladi Basin displays crisp terraces and bright, irregular “hollows,” hinting that volatile-rich material is still being lost from Mercury’s crust.

Southern Polar Region Mosaic

Southern Polar Region Mosaic

Two MESSENGER frames stitched together on 2 Jan 2015 show the crater-packed south-polar hemisphere from ~330 km altitude, looking northeast across the limb of the planet.

Hollows Inside an Unnamed Crater

Hollows Inside an Unnamed Crater

A high-resolution Narrow-Angle Camera shot reveals Mercury-exclusive “hollows” eating into the floor and central peak of a 90 km crater—evidence of volatile sublimation in an airless world.

Mariner 10’s First Close-Up of Mercury (1974)

Mariner 10’s First Close-Up of Mercury (1974)

The historic fly-by on 29 Mar 1974 produced the first detailed portrait of Mercury’s battered surface (inset shows the spacecraft), uncovering crater fields and planet-spanning scarps.