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There are eight known planets in the Solar System where the Earth is also a part of. The smallest planet and the one closest to the sun is the planet Mercury. Outer space expeditions by humans are only limited to the moon. So the attempts of humans to explore this planet have been confined to space probes.
• Size. The planet mercury is known to be the smallest planet in the solar system. When Pluto was still recognized as a planet, Mercury was the 8th smallest planet. It has a total diameter of 4,880 km.
• Internal Structures. Mercury is actually considered as a terrestrial planet. This means that is made up of metals, rocks and silicate. This is one similarity that Mercury has with Earth since Earth is also a terrestrial planet. It is made of 70 percent metallic core with 30 percent silicate that makes up its mantle.
• Orbit. Among all the 8 planets in the solar system, the orbit of Mercury is considered as the most eccentric because it is definitely far from the circular shape. Because of this eccentricity, the distance of Mercury from the sun can change as it revolves around it. A full revolution around its orbit is completed in 87.969 days here on earth.
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