Why does Mercury only takes 88 days to orbit the Sun?
Why does Mercury only takes 88 days to orbit the Sun?
This is because Mercury’s rotation around its axis lasts 59 days, and it takes 88 days to move around its orbit around the Sun. Interestingly, 59 is exactly 2/3 of 88. This is not by chance – it is an effect of the Sun’s gravitational field on Mercury.
How long does it take for Mercury to make one rotation?
59 Earth days
Mercury rotates slowly. One rotation takes nearly 59 Earth days to complete.
Does Mercury orbit the Sun?
Mercury makes a complete orbit around the Sun (a year in Mercury time) in just 88 Earth days.
How many hours is 1 day on Mercury?
58d 15h 30m
Mercury/Length of day
A planet’s day is the time it takes the planet to rotate or spin once on its axis. Mercury rotates very slowly compared to Earth so a day on Mercury is much longer than a day on Earth. A day on Mercury is 58.646 Earth days or 1407.5 hours long while a day on Earth is 23.934 hours long.
How long does Mercury take to orbit the the Sun?
Interestingly, Mercury travels about 48 km (30 miles) per second, and it takes 88 days to orbit the sun.
How many times does Mercury orbit the Sun in a year?
One day on Mercury (sunrise to sunrise) is longer than one year on Mercury (one orbit around the Sun). Mercurian Year: A year on Mercury takes 87.97 Earth days; it takes 87.97 Earth days for Mercury to orbit the sun once.
Does it take mercury 88 Earth days to orbit the Sun?
It’s proximity to the Sun also means that it orbits the planet quite rapidly. To break it down, Mercury takes roughly 88 Earth days to complete a single orbit around the Sun. Between this rapid orbital period and its slow rotational period, a single year on Mercury is actually shorter than a single day!
How fast does Mercury revolve around the Sun?
Mercury speeds around the sun every 88 Earth days, traveling through space at nearly 112,000 mph (180,000 km/h), faster than any other planet. Its oval-shaped orbit is highly elliptical, taking Mercury as close as 29 million miles (47 million km) and as far as 43 million miles (70 million km) from the sun.