Mercury is one of the more difficult objects for amateur astronomers to observe because of its close proximity to the Sun. For the same reason, it is also one of the most fascinating and strange planets. Mercury is not much larger that our Moon, but orbits the Sun at an average distance of only 58 million km, compared to the Earth’s 150 million km. On its sunlit side, Mercury’s surface temperature can exceed 450C while the night side freezes at –180C.
The Earth and the Moon, Revised Edition (The Solar System)
Earth belongs to a group of small, inner solar-system planets, including Mercury, Venus, and Mars, which all consist of a mantle made of silica-based minerals above an iron-rich core and crusts that show evidence of meteorite bombardment and volcanic lava flow. Beyond these basic similarities, and despite their similar formation processes in the inner solar system, these four planets are strangely different from one another.
How can we account, in a rigorous way, for alchemy's ubiquity? We think of alchemy as the transformation of a base material (usually lead) into gold, but "alchemy" is a word in wide circulation in everyday life, often called upon to fulfill a metaphoric duty as the magical transformation of materials. Almost every culture and time has had some form of alchemy. This book looks at alchemy, not at any one particular instance along the historical timeline, not as a practice or theory, not as a mode of redemption, but as a theoretical problem, linked to real gold and real production in the world
A description of Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun. The text discusses Mercury's distinguishing characteristics, its position in the solar system its composition and atmospheric conditions, its moons, and how scientists have learned about Mercury over time. Color photos and diagrams enhance understanding of the text.
