Introduction

Mercury is the final planet in this series. The thrust of this Web series was to define planets for the first time, describing what is there, and taking advantage of the new paradigm – that excludes dwarf planets, such as Pluto, and extra solar ones, like those Gleise Planets. The Theory of Panspermia, that life is everywhere in space and that the right conditions need to exist to allow it to burst forth, was also a huge part of this Web series, “Planets Alive.” This then brings us to the smallest, hottest and least welcoming planet for living, Mercury, the Sun’s closest baby.

Image via Wikipedia

Could You Dwell There?

No, not even encircling Mercury would be advised. The place is simply too close to the sun to stay around. Besides, Mercury is also the smallest of the planets – without breath – a deadly-hot, iron-like ball of rock. However, somewhere on Mercury, bacteria might just be able to thrive hidden. But our Sun cooks his surface like an egg.

Mercury is a cool, 600 degrees Celsius, in the shade.

Science Alive

In man’s growing quest to live in Space, Mercury still plays his part. He would be a great planet to study. Mariner 10 (1975 – 77) mapped 45% of the surface followed by MESSENGER, who flew past Mercury in January, 2008.  MESSENGER will revisit Mercury in 2011, locking into orbit, and then snapping Mercury’s entire face. Mercury appears now an unsurprising rocky-ball not unlike Earth’s moon.

Mercury:

• Revolves thrice, on its’ own axis, while spinning twice around the Sun
• Spins dead upright
• Mercury tilts on its’ orbit, known as an eccentric orbit, by 10 degrees from the horizontal orbit of the other planets. 

Mercury is a metal and sand ball of high temperature probably full of molten iron.

Image via Wikipedia

Sunny Side Up

You would seriously have to be balmy to go anywhere near Mercury. You cold probably send energy probes to beam heat back to run busy Earth. Or, if someone invents a mining device that could stand the heat, you could bring back molten iron, smelting steel in orbit around the planet. Mercury would be an ideal planetary refinery, for the manufacture of quality-grade steel, for building structures around the other planets, like Venus, Mars and Jupiter.

Mercury is an ideal ore-refinery.

Can We Crowd the Skies?

Humanity is about to go haywire for the heavens. Space visits are now within the grasp of paying customers. Visiting space is only likely to increase, slowly at first and then a veritable on-rush, after the next decade. This Web series is unique for the fact that it has taken a look at each planet, describing its’ relationship to life, and really putting our neighborhood into sharp focus. Will it be viable to colonize the many planets sharing our area? I think it will.

The reason why the planets could come alive is:

• Jupiter is full of many resources that could run a civilization, we just need the technology to harvest and live there
• We already live in space, with plans for a moon-base, in the next fifteen years
• Space tourism will grow in popularity from 2009.

Image via Wikipedia

Thank-you for enjoying, “Planets Alive.” Keep watching for more enticing Web series by James DeVere. 

More Planets Alive:

Part One – Neptune

Part Two – Uranus

Part Three – Saturn

Part Four – Jupiter

Part Five – Mars

Part Six – Earth

Part Seven – Venus