I stood on the surface of Mercury. The huge, scorching sun glared mercilessly. No atmosphere screened its fierce radiation. The temperatures seethed above 325 degrees C. The day seemed eternal. We once thought it was, but now knew it would last only 176 earth days. The soil under my feet was similar to what I had seen on the moon. From my vantage point atop a sloping hill, I could see many craters and features that rose 600 feet above the landscape. When night finally came, after two Mercury years, the temperatures dropped to minus 123 degrees C. The darkness overhead was penetrated only by the light of distant earth, Venus, other planets and the stars.

Mercury's surface is a barren, arid landscape with no atmosphere, a scorching sun, and temperatures above 325 degrees C.

Paper

On the Heels of Mercury

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