Is there any air on Mercury?

myrab51

Mercury has almost no atmosphere. or gases, surrounding it. Source: 'The Complete Book of Our Solar System Grade 3' ISBN: 1-57768-605-5 Pg 56 Dec 11 07, 12:22 PM

MonkeyOnALeash

Air, as it is defined, can only be found on Planet Earth. There are many Planets and Celestial Bodies that have Atmospheres. Maybe some with Oxygen. But NONE with Air. Unless it is EXACTLY like Earths. Dec 11 07, 12:53 PM

zbeckabee

For a little while astronomers thought that Mercury might have a tenuous atmosphere of hydrogen, helium, sodium and potassium gases. But more careful observations revealed that the hydrogen and helium all come from the Sun. They are part of the solar wind which is only temporarily trapped by Mercury, but they escape after a while. The sodium and potassium don't come from the solar wind but rather from Mercury's surface. The particles in the solar wind with the highest energies hit the surface and "kick off" potassium and sodium atoms which eventually also leave the planet. Air -- A colorless, odorless, tasteless, gaseous mixture, mainly nitrogen (approximately 78 percent) and oxygen (approximately 21 percent) with lesser amounts of argon, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, neon, helium, and other gases. http://astro.uchicago.edu/home/web/lucia/a100/lectures/mercury.html#atmos http://www.ask.com/reference/dictionary/ahdict/60099/air Dec 11 07, 2:17 PM