MERCURY

The planet nearest to the sun.  Its surface is very hot - 800 degrees Fahrenheit.  Mercury is like our moon.  It has no air and is covered with craters.

1.      the second smallest planet in our solar system

2.      Pluto is smaller

3.      about the same size as our Moon

4.      very close to the Sun

5.      travels around the Sun faster than any other planet - that is how it got its name

6.      named after Mercury, the swift messenger of the gods in ancient Roman mythology

7.      can only be seen from Earth just before sunrise or just after sunset, but not in the middle of the night

8.      That is because Mercury always appears near the Sun when viewed from Earth

9.      has a very thin atmosphere - humans would not be able to live there

10. surface has holes in it where objects such as meteorites and asteroids crashed into it

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