Why is Mcrcury difficult to obaerve? It is very dim it is always near the Sun in

Question

Why is Mcrcury difficult to obaerve? It is very dim it is always near the Sun in the sky It is usually on the other side of the Sun from the Earth 45. It never rises until after midnight the atmosphere on Mcrcury X. Is mostly carbon monoxide very thin compared to Earth's % .contains trace amounts of oxygen y Is so opaque that we cannot see the surface scarps that cut across the surface of Mercury probably were f cTut by flowing lava Produced by impacts . I ormed when the crust buckled as Mcrcury cooled Xf. I ormed when crustal plates ran together during plate tectonics Why are the craters on Mcrcury generally larger than lunar craters? is more surtacc gravity on Mercury, compared to the Moon. Meteroids are larger near Mercury's orbit. Mercury had more volcanic activity than the Moon, producing more volcanic larger lunar craters have been eroded away. Why did ejecta from impact craters travel farther from craters on the Moon than from craters on Mercury? There is more air resistance on Mcrcury than on the Moon Tbe objects that struck Mcrcury were larger. Mercury has a larger gravity than does the Moon The curvature of the Moon is greater than that ot Mercury Why are there more craters

Explanation / Answer

It is difficult to observe Mercury because

i) It's angular size being very small and the surface being rocky (not like Venus) it appears dimmer.

ii) Due to its smaller orbit and the duration of its revolution lasting 88 days, it stays near the Sun for most of its time.

iii) It is not. Its orbit lasts for about 3 Earth months. So even if the orbit of mercury is assumed to be circular it is equally likely for it to be in front of the Sun as it is for it to be behind it.

iv) Due to its vicinity to the Sun, its rising and setting is much alike to that of the Sun. So it rises nearly at or before dawn (like today) and sets accordingly. So yes, after midnight it is.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse W
• Subjects

---

---

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.