● Planetary Telemetry Station // 02

Weather on Mercury

Q: Why does Mercury experience extreme temperature swings?

Because Mercury has virtually no atmosphere (only an ultra-thin exosphere), it cannot retain heat. Day temperatures reach 430°C (806°F) while night temperatures plunge to -180°C (-292°F).

Q: Is Mercury the hottest planet in the Solar System?

No. Despite being closest to the Sun, Venus is hotter than Mercury because Venus has a runaway greenhouse atmosphere trapping immense heat.

Q: Is there ice on Mercury?

Yes! Radar observations and NASA's MESSENGER probe confirmed water ice inside permanently shadowed craters at Mercury's poles.

Closest to the Sun, but not the hottest. Boiling by day, freezing by night.

Orbital Telemetry Live

Mercury

+167°C

Diurnal Temperature Swing 🌡️

+167°C Avg

Day Peak: +430°C | Night Low: -180°C

Atmosphere & Pressure 💨

< 10^-14 bar (Ultra-high vacuum exosphere)

Virtually none — an ultra-thin trace of sodium, potassium, and oxygen that cannot trap warmth.

Supersonic Winds & Storms 🌪️

Zero wind. Without an atmosphere, there is complete silence.

None. No air means no clouds, no rain, and no weather systems.

Mission Data Provenance 🛰️

Orbital Probe Telemetry

Direct measurements from NASA's MESSENGER and Mariner 10 missions.

Complex things. Made simple.

What would it feel like to experience the weather on Mercury?

Mercury has almost no atmosphere to hold onto warmth. Facing the Sun, the rock boils at 430°C. But the moment night falls, all that heat radiates straight into the vacuum of space, plunging the dark side to -180°C.

Distance from Sun / Earth

77 – 222 million km from Earth

Solar Rotation / Day Cycle

4222.6 Hours

Primary Atmosphere

Virtually none — an ultra-thin trace of sodium, potassium, and oxygen that cannot trap warmth

3D Orbital Mesh

Real 3D GLB Model

Frequently Asked Questions About Mercury

Verified science answered in plain, accessible language.

Because Mercury has virtually no atmosphere (only an ultra-thin exosphere), it cannot retain heat. Day temperatures reach 430°C (806°F) while night temperatures plunge to -180°C (-292°F).

No. Despite being closest to the Sun, Venus is hotter than Mercury because Venus has a runaway greenhouse atmosphere trapping immense heat.

Yes! Radar observations and NASA's MESSENGER probe confirmed water ice inside permanently shadowed craters at Mercury's poles.