PHYC 2451 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Martian Dichotomy, Older Southern American English, Orbital Period
19 Dec 2015
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Its rotation period is longer than its orbital period: mars rotates at almost the same rate as earth, and its rotation axis is tilted by almost the same angle as earth"s axis. Mercury"s surface, interior, and magnetic field: mercury"s surface is pocked with craters, but there are extensive smooth plains between these craters. The lack of darker maria is consistent with a low iron content measured on mercury"s surface: long cliffs called scarps meander across the surface of mercury. These probably formed as the planet"s crust cooled, solidified, and shrank: mercury has an iron core with a diameter equal to about 83% of the planet"s diameter. By contrast, the diameter of earth"s core is only slightly more than one-half of earth"s diameter: mercury has a weak magnetic field, which indicates that at least part of the iron core is liquid.
