ASTR 170B2 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Caloris Planitia, Bulk Density, Mariner 10
18 Oct 2018
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Astr ptys 170b2 - lecture 13 - a solar system perspective: mercury. What a planet is made of depends on its density, not it"s placement to its star. Radius is 1. 4 times the radius of the moon,and 4. 5 times the mass of the moon. Spacecraft missions: mariner 10(nasa 1972) and messenger (nasa 2008-2015) Orbital period is 88 days, rotation period is 59 days. It is the most elliptical orbit of all planets in the solar system. It rotates three times during every two periods. Basic observation; bulk density of 5400 kg/m3, no significant atmosphere, heavily cratered. Largest impact craters in the solar system: caloris basin, with a diameter of. Mercury has extensive smooth plains on the northern regions probably created by large lava flows. Because there are craters underneath and a small amount of new ones. Lobate scarps are hundreds of kilometers long and range in altitude. Tectonics: powered by internal heating, referring to stretching or contraction.
