ENGLISH

Moore on Mercury: The Planet and the Missions

By Sir Patrick Moore (auth.)

Book information

Publisher
Springer-Verlag London
Year
2007
ISBN
978-1-84628-257-7, 978-1-84628-760-2
DOI
10.1007/978-1-84628-760-2
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
6 MB (5963736 bytes)
Edition
1
Pages
139\137
Orientation
yes
Scanned
yes
Time added
2013-10-21 19:20:33
Observations and Techniques; PlanetologyPopular Science in Astronomy; Astronomy

Description

Mercury is one of the more difficult objects for amateur astronomers to observe because of its close proximity to the Sun. For the same reason, it is also one of the most fascinating and strange planets. Mercury is not much larger that our Moon, but orbits the Sun at an average distance of only 58 million km, compared to the Earth’s 150 million km. On its sunlit side, Mercury’s surface temperature can exceed 450C while the night side freezes at –180C. Amateur astronomers can see Mercury and its ever-changing phases all year, and sometimes watch it transit the Sun – the next transit is in November 2006, followed by one in May 2016. In his inimitable, easy-going style, Patrick Moore describes Mercury, the professional astronomers who have observed it over the centuries, amateur observations, and the past, present and future space missions to this extraordinary world.

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