Mercury: Facts & Figures

Discovered By Known by the Ancients

Date of Discovery Unknown

Average Distance from the Sun Metric: 57,909,175 kmEnglish: 35,983,095 milesScientific Notation: 5.7909175 x 107 km (0.38709893 A.U.)By Comparison: Earth is 1 A.U. (Astronomical Unit) from the Sun.

Perihelion (closest) Metric: 46,000,000 kmEnglish: 28,580,000 milesScientific Notation: 4.600 x 107 km (0.3075 A.U.)By Comparison: 0.313 x Earth

Aphelion (farthest) Metric: 69,820,000 kmEnglish: 43,380,000 milesScientific Notation: 6.982 x 107 km (0.4667 A.U.)By Comparison: 0.459 x Earth

Equatorial Radius Metric: 2,439.7 kmEnglish: 1,516.0 milesScientific Notation: 2.4397 x 103 kmBy Comparison: 0.3825 x Earth

Equatorial Circumference Metric: 15,329.1 kmEnglish: 9,525.1 milesScientific Notation: 1.53291 x 104 km

Volume Metric: 60,827,200,000 km3

English: 14,593,200,000 mi3

Scientific Notation: 6.08272 x 1010 km3

By Comparison: 0.054 x Earth's

Mass Metric: 330,220,000,000,000,000,000,000 kgScientific Notation: 3.3022 x 1023 kgBy Comparison: 0.055 x Earth's

Density Metric: 5.427 g/cm3

By Comparison: 0.984 x Earth

Surface Area Metric: 74,800,000 km2

English: 28,900,000 square milesScientific Notation: 7.48 x 107 km2

By Comparison: 0.147 x Earth

Equatorial Surface Gravity Metric: 3.7 m/s2

English: 12.1 ft/s2

By Comparison: If you weigh 100 pounds on Earth, you would weigh 38 pounds on Mercury.

Escape Velocity Metric: 15,300 km/hEnglish: 9,500 mphScientific Notation: 4.25 x 103 m/sBy Comparison: Escape Velocity of Earth is 25,022 mph

Sidereal Rotation Period (Length of Day)

58.646 Earth days1407.5 hoursBy Comparison: 58.64 x Earth

Mean Orbit Velocity Metric: 172,341 km/hEnglish: 107,088 mphScientific Notation: 47,872.5 m/sBy Comparison: 1.61 x Earth

Orbital Eccentricity 0.20563069By Comparison: 12.3 x Earth

Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 7 degrees

Equatorial Inclination to Orbit 0 degreesBy Comparison: Earth's equatorial inclination to orbit is 23.45 degrees.

Orbital Circumference Metric: 356,000,000 kmEnglish: 221,000,000 milesScientific Notation: 3.56 x 108 kmBy Comparison: 0.385 x Earth

Minimum/Maximum Surface Temperature

Metric: -173/427 °CEnglish: -279/801 °FScientific Notation: 100/700 KBy Comparison: Earth's temperature range is ~ 185/331 K.

Atmospheric Constituents By Comparison: Earth's atmosphere consists mostly of N2, O2

Additional Information:

Namesake: Messenger of the Roman Gods

Successive Sunrises: 175.97 days