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Mercury (Planet): Sun
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The point in Mercury’s orbit at which the planet is closest to the Sun (perihelion) moves a tiny amount every orbit, too much to be accounted for solely by the gravitational influence of other planets. The observation of these changes in Mercury’s perihelion was one of the first confirmations of Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which predicted such variation due to the curvature of space caused by the enormous mass of the Sun.
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Mercury's orbit is inclined by 7° to the plane of Earth's orbit (the ecliptic), as shown in the diagram on the left. As a result, transits of Mercury across the face of the Sun can only occur when the planet is crossing the plane of the ecliptic at the time it lies between the Earth and the Sun. This occurs about every seven years on average.
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Mercury, the closest object to the Sun, is a small, bleak planet. Because of the Sun's intense glare, it is difficult to observe Mercury from Earth. Mercury is visible just above the horizon for only about one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset.
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Mercury has been known of since at least the time of the Sumerians (3rd millennium BC). It was given two names by the ancient Greeks, Apollo when visible in the morning sky and Hermes when visible in the evening, but Greek astronomers knew that the two names referred to the same body. Heraclitus even believed that Mercury and Venus orbited the Sun, not the Earth.
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Mercury is named for the Roman messenger god with winged sandals. The planet was so named because it orbits the Sun quickly, in just 88 days. In contrast to its short year, Mercury has an extremely long day. It takes the planet the equivalent of 59 Earth days to complete one rotation.
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* Mercury: During first half of month, brightens as it slowly emerges in morning twilight, in the east-northeast sky. It becomes lost in glare of Sun during second half of month. In quasi-conjunction with Venus on Aug. 10.
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