Discovery Channel


There are at least 95 moons spinning around the nine planets
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Home

Observing Space

Introduction

Telescopes

Invisible Astronomy

Section 1.4

Section 1.5

Section 1.6

Section 1.7

Section 1.8

Section 1.9

Section 1.10

Section 1.11

Section 1.12

Section 1.13

Section 1.14

Section 1.15

Exploring Space

Introduction

Pioneers

Shuttles

Launchers

ISS

USA in Space

UK in Space

China in Space

France in Space

Russia in Space

The X-Prize

Section 2.12

Section 2.13

Section 2.14

Section 2.15

Planets

Introduction

Mercury

Venus

Earth

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Pluto

Section 3.11

Section 3.12

Section 3.13

Section 3.14

Section 3.15

Moons

Section 4.1

Section 4.2

Section 4.3

Section 4.4

Section 4.5

Section 4.6

Section 4.7

Section 4.8

Section 4.9

Section 4.10

Section 4.11

Section 4.12

Section 4.13

Section 4.14

Section 4.15

Stars

Introduction

The Sun

Sirius

Canopus

Alpha Centauri

Arcturus

Others

Section 5.8

Section 5.9

Section 5.10

Section 5.11

Section 5.12

Section 5.13

Section 5.14

Section 5.15

Comets, Meteors & Asteroids

Deep Impact Mission

Section 6.2

Section 6.3

Section 6.4

Section 6.5

Section 6.6

Section 6.7

Section 6.8

Section 6.9

Section 6.10

Section 6.11

Section 6.12

Section 6.13

Section 6.14

Section 6.15

Galaxies

Section 7.1

Section 7.2

Section 7.3

Section 7.4

Section 7.5

Section 7.6

Section 7.7

Section 7.8

Section 7.9

Section 7.10

Section 7.11

Section 7.12

Section 7.13

Section 7.14

Section 7.15

The Universe

Section 8.1

Section 8.2

Section 8.3

Section 8.4

Section 8.5

Section 8.6

Section 8.7

Section 8.8

Section 8.9

Section 8.10

Section 8.11

Section 8.12

Section 8.13

Section 8.14

Section 8.15

Eclipses

Solar Eclipse

Lunar Eclipse

Lunar Eclipse 2008

What Eclipses Have Taught Us

Significant Eclipses in History

The Blood Red Moon

Section 9.7

Section 9.8

Section 9.9

Section 9.10

Section 9.11

Section 9.12

Section 9.13

Section 9.14

Section 9.15

Amazing Facts

Section 10.1

Section 10.2

Section 10.3

Section 10.4

Section 10.5

Section 10.6

Section 10.7

Section 10.8

Section 10.9

Section 10.10

Section 10.11

Section 10.12

Section 10.13

Section 10.14

Section 10.15

Play: Comet Impact

Section 11.1

Section 11.2

Section 11.3

Section 11.4

Section 11.5

Section 11.6

Section 11.7

Section 11.8

Section 11.9

Section 11.10

Section 11.11

Section 11.12

Section 11.13

Section 11.14

Section 11.15

Space Blog

Section 12.1

Section 12.2

Section 12.3

Section 12.4

Section 12.5

Section 12.6

Section 12.7

Section 12.8

Section 12.9

Section 12.10

Section 12.11

Section 12.12

Section 12.13

Section 12.14

Section 12.15

Section 13

Section 13.1

Section 13.2

Section 13.3

Section 13.4

Section 13.5

Section 13.6

Section 13.7

Section 13.8

Section 13.9

Section 13.10

Section 13.11

Section 13.12

Section 13.13

Section 13.14

Section 13.15

Section 14

Section 14.1

Section 14.2

Section 14.3

Section 14.4

Section 14.5

Section 14.6

Section 14.7

Section 14.8

Section 14.9

Section 14.10

Section 14.11

Section 14.12

Section 14.13

Section 14.14

Section 14.15

Section 15

Section 15.1

Section 15.2

Section 15.3

Section 15.4

Section 15.5

Section 15.6

Section 15.7

Section 15.8

Section 15.9

Section 15.10

Section 15.11

Section 15.12

Section 15.13

Section 15.14

Section 15.15

Planets

Mercury

Mercury was named after the Roman messenger of the gods. It is heavily cratered and looks a bit like the surface of the moon.

We know no life could survive on Mercury because the atmosphere is so thin it is hardly detectable and the temperature ranges from blisteringly hot during the day, to way below freezing during the night.

Most of our knowledge of Mercury comes mainly from the 1974-5 Mariner probe. The Messenger probe launched in August 2004 will enter Mercury’s orbit in 2011, collecting data for one Earth year.

Average distance from the Sun: 57,910,000km
(35,980,000miles)

Length of year: 88 Earth days

Diameter: 4,878km (3,031miles)

Average temperature: Day 800°F (427°C) Night -300°F (-183°C)

Photos: Science Photo Library

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