Why Is Mercury So Extremely Hot and Cold?

What Crafty Clover says in this video

Intro

Hi there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why is Mercury so extremely hot and cold?

The Big Idea

Mercury is both super hot and super cold because it's the closest planet to the Sun, and it has almost no air! Air works like a blanket, holding heat in. Mercury has none, so heat escapes fast. That makes wild temperature swings!

Next to the Sun

Step one: Mercury hugs the Sun. It orbits only about 58 million kilometres away, so the Sun looks much bigger and brighter from there. In the daytime, the ground gets hotter than 400 degrees Celsius!

Almost No Air

Step two: there's almost no air. Mercury is small, so its gravity is weak and can't hold onto a thick atmosphere. Without a blanket of air, heat isn't trapped or spread around.

Freezing Nights

Step three: nights freeze. When the Sun sets, the heat leaves quickly into space. Night temperatures fall to about minus 180 degrees Celsius!

A Closer Look

Let's take a closer look at Mercury! In the day, the Sun bakes the ground. At night, the cold is deep and icy, far below freezing. With no thick air, heat can't stay, and the Sun's warmth just rushes away. That makes a temperature swing of about 600 degrees!

Quick Facts

Quick facts! Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system. One year on Mercury lasts only 88 Earth days. Its day, from sunrise to sunrise, lasts about 176 Earth days. Venus is actually hotter, but that's another story!

Think Like a Scientist

Now, think like a scientist! Find a kids' space book or a trusted website, with a grown-up. Look up Mercury's day and night temperatures. Write down both numbers and subtract. How big is the swing?

Outro

No air means wild swings. Science is amazing! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!