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
A Fire in the Sky A Fire in the Sky A Fire in the Sky is a made-for-television disaster movie that debuted on NBC on November 26, 1978. The movie is based on a story by Paul Gallico and is a Bill Driskill Production in association with Columbia Pictures Television. While reviewing pictures of the planet Jupiter, astronomer Jennifer Dreiser (Joanna Miles) discovers a new comet streaking through space. The joy of finding the comet is short-lived, however, when it is determined that it may hit the Earth in just eight days. Dreiser is summoned to see the President (Andrew Duggan) at his vacation home,