From the beginning of time man has looked to the skies from intrigue and for answers and explanations. Many objects in space have observed, such as stars, constellations, galaxies, plants and moons. These celestial objects have been looked upon as spiritual and even as if they are the gods of our world. Today, objects have been looked upon as spiritual and even as if they are the gods of our world. Today, objects in space are being studied and understood more than ever before. No longer are they looked upon as the gods or answers, but they still carry much intrigue for people. The nine planets in our solar system have very unique characteristics, and help us understand many things about the universe. .
Mercury is the eighth largest planet in our solar system and the closest to the sun. Since this planet is so close to the sun it almost always is within 28 degrees of the sun's temperature (Shehann 51). "In Roman mythology, Mercury is the god of commerce, travel and thievery" (Mercury 1). The planet probably earned this name because it moves so rapidly across the sky. Mercury has been known since the third millennium BC. Mariner 10 is the only spacecraft to visit Mercury; it flew by three times in 1974 and 1975 (Mercury 1). Mercury's surface very much resembles Earth's moon scarred by thousands of impact craters resulting from collisions with meteors (Shehann 51). As mercury orbits the sun it comes as close as 46 million km, and as far away as 70 million km. Up until 1962 Mercury's day was thought to be the same length as its year, although it is now known that Mercury rotates three times in two of its years. Mercury has no known moons or satellites, and is visible with binoculars or even the naked eye. So therefore the best time to see this planet is when it's the farthest east or south of the sun (Shehann 51).
The second planet from the sun would be Venus. Thick swirling clouds cover Venus, which is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty.