Deep Dive: About the Planets

What is the smallest planet in our solar system?

• Mars

• Venus

• Mercury

• Earth

Which planet is closest to the Sun?

• Venus

• Earth

• Mars

• Mercury

What is the temperature range on Mercury's surface?

• -100°C to 200°C

• -180°C to 430°C

• -50°C to 300°C

• -200°C to 500°

Which spacecraft first flew past Mercury in the 1970s?

• Voyager 1

• Mariner 10

• Pioneer 10

• Galileo

What are the mysterious depressions on Mercury's surface called?

• Craters

• Hollows

• Valleys

• Ridges

How long did the MESSENGER spacecraft orbit Mercury?

• 2 years

• 3 years

• 4 years

• 5 years

What is the primary reason Mercury has no atmosphere?

• Its small size

• Its proximity to the Sun

• Its slow rotation

• Its lack of magnetic field

What is the diameter of Mercury?

• 4,880 km

• 6,371 km

• 12,742 km

• 3,474 km

Which mission provided the first high-resolution images of Mercury's surface?

• Mariner 10

• Voyager 2

• MESSENGER

• New Horizons

What is unique about Mercury's rotation and orbit?

• It spins perfectly upright

• Each rotation is not accompanied by a sunrise and sunset

• One full day/night cycle equals 176 Earth days

• All of the above