Mercury (planet) Mercury (planet) Mercury is the smallest and innermost planet in the Solar System. Its orbital period around the Sun of 87.97 days is the shortest of all the planets in the Solar System. It is named after the Roman deity Mercury, the messenger of the gods. Like Venus, Mercury orbits the Sun within Earth's orbit as an "inferior planet", and never exceeds 28° away from the Sun. When viewed from Earth, this proximity to the Sun means the planet can only be seen near the western or eastern horizon during the early evening or early morning. At this time it
The Amazing Race 30 answering these questions: (1) What is the distance in miles that Copernicus calculated between the earth and the sun? (3,391,000 miles); (2) What is the name of the second lecturer? (Professor Bergler); (3) Which planet did Copernicus say was the second farthest from the sun? (Jupiter); (4) What is the law which causes objects to disappear as they move away from us? (Law of perspective); (5) Question not shown (blue); (6) Up to how many miles away can a lighthouse be seen? (40 miles); (7) What year did Copernicus publish his astronomical model? (1543); (8) Is the earth round or