[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-438552-105":59,"doc-detail-438552-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","mercury-gateway-solar-system-planet-closest-to-the-sun","MERCURY - Gateway Solar System - Planet Closest to the Sun","","MERCURY from the Gateway Solar System series explains the planet closest to the sun, focusing on its position, distance, and fast orbital motion. It describes Mercury as a lonely inner-planet with no moons, challenging to observe from Earth due to the sun’s glare and the planet’s dark, low-reflecting surface. The text also outlines viewing windows near sunrise and sunset, and summarizes how telescopes and early astronomers used maps and photographs to develop theories about Mercury’s appearance.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":15,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/literature/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/mercury-gateway-solar-system-planet-closest-to-the-sun/438552/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/mercury-gateway-solar-system-planet-closest-to-the-sun/438552.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Muffet","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-09-30","2026-09-29",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":8},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"How far is Mercury from the sun, and how long does one orbit take?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Mercury averages about 36 million miles (58 million kilometers) from the sun. It travels completely around the sun every 88 Earth days.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Why is Mercury difficult to see from Earth?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Mercury is very close to the sun, so the sun’s light usually obscures it. Its dark surface reflects only about one tenth of the sunlight, and Earth’s atmosphere adds haze.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"When is the best time to view Mercury from Earth?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"The text states that Mercury can be viewed just before sunrise or just after sunset, when the sun is below Earth’s horizon and its glare is blocked.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},438552,1790763343,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":14,"category_name":15,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":8,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145},962090768927,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_085a072bc5b1113ac321206ff7593b45","MERCURY  \nBoston Public Library  \nWTHDRAWN  \nNo longer the property of theBoston Public Library.Sale of this material benefits tho Library.  \n15  \n# G R E G ○ R Y L.VO G T\n\nMERCURY  \nGateway Solar SystemThe Milbrook PressBroohfield,Connecicu  \nEG  \nBR  \nQB611  \n.V64-  \n1994  \nPublished by The Millbrook Press2 Old New Milford RoadBrookfield,Connecticut 06804  \nCopyright ◎1994 by The Millbrook PressAll rights reservedPrinted in the United States of America  \n5432  \nLibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataVogt,Gregory.Mercury /by Gregory L.Vogt.p.cm.—(Gateway solar system)ncludes bibliographical references and index.  \nSummary:Presents information on Mercury,the planet closestto the sun,as it was photographed by the U.S.spacecraft,Mariner 10.Includes a glossary and \"Mercury Quick Facts.\"  \nISBN 1-56294-390-1(lib.bdg.)ISBN 0-7613-0157-7(pbk.)  \n1.Mercury(Planet)—Juvenle literature.2.Project Maniner—Juvenile literature.[1.Mercury(Planet).2.Project Mariner.]  \nI.Title.II.Series:Vogt,Gregory.Gateway solar system.  \nQB611.V641994  \n523.4'1—dc20  \n93-11218 CIP AC  \nPhotographs and illustrations courtesy of:National Aeronautics  \nand Space Administration:cover,pp.8,10,11,19,22,26;  \npainting by William K.Hartmann:p.4;◎ Ron Miller:pp.12,  \n15,24;Jet Propulsion Laboratory:pp.17,21.  \nSolar system diagram by Anne Canevani Green  \nMERCURY  \nlaster than the fastest rocket,the planet Mercury flashesthrough the inner solar system.The inner solar systemis the space between Earth and the sun.It is a lonelyregion with only two planets,Mercury and Venus.Thereare no moons,and only an occasional comet or asteroidpassing through.  \nAt an average distance of 36 million miles(58 mil-lion kilometers),Mercury is the closest planet to the sun.Because it is so close,it is also the fastest moving of theplanets.Mercury whizzes around the sun at an averagespeed of over 107,000 miles(173,000 kilometers)perhour.That's about ten times faster than distant Plutomoves as it travels in its orbit around the sun.Mercuryis faster than any other planet because the sun's gravity(a force that causes objects to attract each other)isstronger the closer you are to it.To stay in orbit and notfall into the sun,Mercury has to move very fast.Its speedbalances the sun's gravity.  \nBecause of its closeness to the sun,Mercury has asmaller orbit to travel than any other planet.With itsspeed and small orbit,Mercury travels completely aroundthe sun every 88 Earth days.  \nAncient Planet  \nMercury is a difficult planet to see from Earth.It is soclose to the sun that the sun's light usually obscures it.The only times to view Mercury are just before sunriseor just after sunset,when the sun is below Earth's hori-zon and its glare is blocked.Mercury has a dark surface,so only about one tenth of the sunlight that falls on it isbounced back into space.That means that,comparedwith other planets,such as Venus,Mercury is very dim.Its dimness,combined with the sun's twilight glare anda hazy Earth atmosphere,makes Mercury a real chal-lenge to spot.In ancient times,however,the air was notas polluted as it is now and Mercury was much easier tosee.Mercury was known to many people,including theEgyptians,Greeks,and Babylonians.  \nAfter the invention of the telescope in the early1600s,many astronomers,scientists who study objectsin space,attempted to get a closer look at Mercury'ssurface.But even with large modern telescopes,details  \nPluto-NeptuneUranusSaturnJupiter—Mars—EarthVenus—Mercury-SUN  \nEarth  \nViewed from Earth,Mercury is never more than 28 degrees to the side ofthe sun.  \non its surface are hard to see.If Mercury had a moun-tain,for example,it would have to be at least 435 miles(700 kilometers)across just to appear as a tiny dotthrough the biggest telescopes.Therefore,hand-drawnmaps and telescopic photographs revealed only shad-owy features.  \nNevertheless,astronomers formed many theoriesabout what the planet must be like.Some astronomers","cbCaiqVlCBkXoGfD","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiqVlCBkXoGfD","pdf",2205758,36,"English","# MERCURY\n## Location and orbital speed\n## Ancient planet and visibility from Earth\n## Telescope observations and theories","[{\"question\":\"How far is Mercury from the sun, and how long does one orbit take?\",\"answer\":\"Mercury averages about 36 million miles (58 million kilometers) from the sun. It travels completely around the sun every 88 Earth days.\"},{\"question\":\"Why is Mercury difficult to see from Earth?\",\"answer\":\"Mercury is very close to the sun, so the sun’s light usually obscures it. Its dark surface reflects only about one tenth of the sunlight, and Earth’s atmosphere adds haze.\"},{\"question\":\"When is the best time to view Mercury from Earth?\",\"answer\":\"The text states that Mercury can be viewed just before sunrise or just after sunset, when the sun is below Earth’s horizon and its glare is blocked.\"}]","MERCURY - Gateway Solar System - Planet Closest to the Sun | PDF",1790685688,55]