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Mercury vs. Saturn - Comparison of sizes
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Mercury vs Saturn - Comparison

Mercury
Saturn
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Mercury

Mercury

Diameter (km)4.879,4
Distance to sun (km)57910000
Equator (km)15329
Temperature-173

Mercury is the first planet from the Sun and the smallest in the Solar System. In English, it is named after the Roman god Mercurius (Mercury), god of commerce and communication, and the messenger of the gods. Mercury is classified as a terrestrial planet, with roughly the same surface gravity as Mars. The surface of Mercury is heavily cratered, as a result of countless impact events that have accumulated over billions of years. Its largest crater, Caloris Planitia, has a diameter of 1,550 km (960 mi) and one-third the diameter of the planet (4,880 km or 3,030 mi). Similarly to the Earth's Moon, Mercury's surface displays an expansive rupes system generated from thrust faults and bright ray systems formed by impact event remnants. Mercury's sidereal year (88.0 Earth days) and sidereal day (58.65 Earth days) are in a 3:2 ratio. This relationship is called spin–orbit resonance, and sidereal here means 'relative to the stars'. Consequently, one solar day (sunrise to sunrise) on Mercury lasts for around 176 Earth days: twice the planet's sidereal year. This means that one side of Mercury will remain in sunlight for one Mercurian year of 88 Earth days; while during the next orbit, that side will be in darkness all the time until the next sunrise after another 88 Earth days.



Combined with its high orbital eccentricity, the planet's surface has widely varying sunlight intensity and temperature, with the equatorial regions ranging from −170 °C (−270 °F) at night to 420 °C (790 °F) during sunlight. Due to the very small axial tilt, the planet's poles are permanently shadowed. This strongly suggests that water ice could be present in the craters. Above the planet's surface is an extremely tenuous exosphere and a faint magnetic field that is strong enough to deflect solar winds. Mercury has no natural satellite. As of the early 2020s, many broad details of Mercury's geological history are still under investigation or pending data from space probes. Like other planets in the Solar System, Mercury was formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago. Its mantle is highly homogeneous, which suggests that Mercury had a magma ocean early in its history, like the Moon. According to current models, Mercury may have a solid silicate crust and mantle overlying a solid outer core, a deeper liquid core layer, and a solid inner core. There are many competing hypotheses about Mercury's origins and development, some of which incorporate collision with planetesimals and rock vaporization.

Source: Wikipedia
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Saturn

Saturn

Diameter (km)120.536
Distance to sun (km)1424600000
Equator (km)365882
Temperature-139

<p>Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. </p>It is a gas giant with a mean radius of about nine times that of Earth. It only has one-eighth the density of Earth; however, with its larger volume, Saturn is over 95 times more massive. Saturn is named after the Roman god of riches and agriculture; its astronomical symbol (♄) represents the god's sickle. Saturn's interior is most likely composed of a core of iron--nickel and stone (silicon and oxygen compounds). Its center is surrounded by an intermediate layer of liquid hydrogen, a deep layer of metallic hydrogen and helium, and finally a gaseous coating. Saturn has a hue because of ammonia crystals at its atmosphere. An electric current within the hydrogen layer is thought to contribute to the planetary magnetic field, which is weaker than the Earth's, but has a magnetic moment of Saturn 580 times that of Earth because of Saturn's larger dimensions.



Saturn's magnetic field strength is of Jupiter's. The outer atmosphere is usually bland and lacking in contrast, although features can appear. Wind speeds on Saturn can reach 1,800 km/h (1,100 mph; 500 m/s), greater compared to Jupiter, but not as large as those on Neptune. In January 2019, astronomers reported that a day around the planet Saturn has been decided to be 10h 33m 38s + 1m 52s− 1m 19s, according to studies of the world's C Ring.The world's most famous feature is its prominent ring system, which is composed mostly of ice particles, with a smaller amount of rocky debris and dust. At least 82 moons are known to orbit Saturn, of which 53 are named. Titan, the second-largest in the Solar System, and Saturn's largest moon, is the only moon in the Solar System to have a substantial atmosphere, and is larger than the planet Mercury, although less massive.

Source: Wikipedia

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