Mercury

Welcome to my Mercury page (No this is not about the Mercury Program or the Mercury 7 Astronauts or the type of metal). Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. Mercury is about 28,580,000 miles (46,000,000 kilometers) from the sun at its closest point, and about 43,380,000 miles (69,820,000 kilometers) from the sun at its farthest point. Mercury is about 48,000,000 miles (77,300,000 kilometers) from Earth at its closest approach. The United States Mariner 10 became the first and only spacecraft to reach Mercury. The remotely controlled spacecraft flew to within 460 miles of Mercury on March 29, 1974. It swept past the planet again on Sept. 24, 1974, and on March 16, 1975. During those flights, the spacecraft photographed portions of the surface of Mercury. Visit Venus