Continuing the fleaseries - The third of Eight ... Lessons from our solar system.

Travelling to Mercury some time soon? Mercury is the nearest planet to the Sun and the second smallest in the Solar System

REASONS TO VISIT

See the Sun rise twice in one day!

Experience the widest range in temperature of any planet, from a chilly -173°C at night to a sizzling 427°C during the day

Number of Moons - 0

Journey time · 5.5 Earth months
1 Mercurian year · 88 Earth days
Contacting home · Time lag = 920 seconds

SPOTTING MERCURY FROM EARTH

It is difficult to see Mercury from Earth. Being the closest planet to the Sun, it is often masked by the Sun's light. The best time to see it is toward sunrise or sunset, when it is out of the light.

Mercury is not visible at night because it's near the Sun. So when the Sun sets, so does Mercury.

On rare occasions, Mercury passes directly between the Sun and the Earth. When this happens it can be seen as a small spot on the Sun's surface.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE
Make sure that you are ready for all conditions. Mercury has the widest temperature range of any planet in the Solar System, from a chilly -173°C at night to a sizzling 350°C during the day.

WHAT TO SEE

Caloris Basin
The most conspicuous feature on the planet is the Caloris Basin - a crater larger than the British Isles . A staggering 1300km (800 miles) across, it is one of the largest impact craters in the Solar System.

It was formed by a collision between Mercury and another rocky body. This explosive event must have happened early in the history of the planet, as the floor of the basin has been scarred by many more recent impacts.

To fully appreciate the scale of this incident you should also fly over the opposite side of the planet. Here you can still see the large rocky ridges caused by shock waves from this event.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE

Your descent to Mercury is smooth. The planet has very little atmosphere therefore there is little or no chance of your ship burning up as you approach. But this means the planet has little protection against asteroids. So the surface is littered with craters of all sizes.

What little atmosphere there is consists of atoms blasted from the planet's surface by the solar wind. Mercury's tiny gravitational field is not large enough to hold these atoms in place. So the atmosphere is being continually regenerated as impacting asteroids kick up dust, which then gradually drifts out into space.

LOCAL HISTORY

The Romans named Mercury after their 'messenger of the gods' because the planet crossed the night sky so quickly. The Greeks referred to Mercury as 'Apollo' when it appeared in the morning sky and 'Hermes' when they spotted it in the evening.

MERCURY AND HER ROLE IN ASTROLOGY ...

Mercury, the divine messenger, dispassionate adviser, intellectual wizard and master of healing ...

Mercury, the messenger of the gods, symbolises mentality: our intellect and mental outlook, the way we think and communicate. Mercury, as Hermes, is the emblem for the magus, the wise counsellor, divine messenger – and prince of thieves!

Planetary lord of Gemini and Virgo, this fast-moving planet stands for ideas, methods and information, especially as expressed through communication and media. Mercury rules writers, travellers, analysts, magicians, salespeople, astrologers and all types of consultants. Through his influences, Mercury also reveals our manual dexterity and mechanical skills.

Mercury, god of the crossroads, also governs transportation: how we get where we're going, both physically and mentally. Are you a hare, or a tortoise? Mercury's position in your chart will tell all!

Oh to be flea to travel the galaxy - ed:)

This article was created on Sunday, 28th September 2008.

This is the 33rd issue of Flea Magazine in Watford. The on-line version of the articles includes additional content that we couldn't fit into the printed version. You can see the individual articles and additional material by selecting from the titles below.

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Inside Watford Flea 203

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