Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, is only slightly larger than Earth's moon and is pockmarked with craters.
The planet is visible to the unaided eye and as such as has long been known to humans. According to Universe Today, the Sumerians mentioned the planet as early as the 2nd millennium BC (a period spanning 2000 BC to 1001 BC), and the Babylonians called it the planet Nabu. We know it by the name given by the Romans, after their swift-footed messenger god Mercury. The planet was first observed through the newly invented telescope in 1631 by astronomers Galileo Galilei and Thomas Harriot, according to NASA Science.
Since its first visit from NASA's Mariner 10 spacecraft in 1974, the little planet has intrigued scientists. It will no doubt continue to surprise us.
Here we explore some strange facts about the planet Mercury.
Strange but true Mercury facts
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