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See the 183 million km long image of the Earth and the Moon (captured by Mercury)!

See the 183 million km long image of the Earth and the Moon (captured by Mercury)!

Two unimportant points, the Earth and the Moon, were photographed by NASA's Mercury Messenger probe: Image

During its terrifying orbit around Mercury, NASA's MESSENGER probe captured the following view of Earth and the Moon on May 6, 2010. The now-decommissioned spacecraft was 183 million kilometers from Earth at the time, which is farther than our average distance from the Sun (150 million kilometers) because Mercury and Earth were at different points in their orbits around the Sun. The image was captured by the spacecraft's Wide Angle Camera (WAC) on the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS). Enjoy the wonderful picture:

Mercurio
the Earth and moon Taken by Mercury.
Image source: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington

Some information about the smallest planet in the solar system

Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system and the closest planet to the sun. From the surface of the planet, The Sun appears to be three times larger than it appears from Earth And seven times brighter. Despite its proximity to our star, Mercury is not the hottest planet. actually Venus It holds this record because of the frightening greenhouse effect. but Mercury is the fastest: In fact, it completes its revolution around the sun every 88 Earth days. Mercury has a radius of 2,440 km, one-third of Earth's radius, and is slightly larger than the Moon. It revolves around the sun at an average distance of 58 million kilometers, and it takes sunlight about 3.2 minutes to reach the planet.

Orbit and rotation

Mercurio
Mercurio. Credit: NASA

Orbit strongly strange It travels a distance of 47 million kilometers to 70 million kilometers from the Sun, and completes one revolution every 88 days at an average speed of 47 kilometers per second, which is faster than any other planet. backwards, Mercury rotates very slowly on its axis: Complete one cycle every 59 Earth days. Its axis of rotation is tilted by only two degrees relative to the plane of its orbit around the sun, meaning that it rotates almost vertically and therefore has no seasons. Moreover, the phenomenon perihelion, That is, the same change in perihelion (the point closest to the sun) of Mercury's orbit. This anomaly was explained thanks to Einstein's general relativity.

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