Mercury has the shortest and fastest orbit around the Sun and experiences dramatic temperature changes as it rotates. It is a world of extremes. Explore facts about our solar system's fastest planet.

Mercury – named after the Roman god Mercury, the messenger to the gods – is the smallest and closest to the Sun of the eight planets in the Solar System, with an orbital period of about 88 ...

On Sunday (Dec. 1), BepiColombo made its fifth of six flybys of Mercury. On this most recent rendezvous, the probe was 200 ...

Mercury has made a rare transit, where the planet passes across the face of the Sun as seen from Earth. During the transit, Mercury appeared as a dark silhouetted disc against the bright surface ...

Much closer to the horizon and a distinct reddish color, the planet Mercury isn’t on most people’s observing lists. In fact, a professional astronomer last year told me it was impossible to ...

Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, is full of unsolved mysteries. Using data from NASA’s MESSENGER mission, scientists have uncovered stunning details about its surface, including ray ...

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Jamie Carter is an award-winning reporter who covers the night sky. When is Mercury retrograde? It starts today, and if you believe ...

Although you might initially think there's been a cosmic mix-up, the reality is that you've stumbled upon Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun. The confusion is understandable since Mercury and ...