Mercury was known to play tricks on his fellow Olympian gods, such as often playing tricks with them. To protect himself he often carried around a winged helmet created for him by Vulcan and accompanied by either a caduceus (staff with two snakes entwined into its coils), or his symbolic animal–cockerels or rams representing fertility….
At the recent National College Media Convention, The Mercury earned college journalism’s top award, the Associated Collegiate Press Newspaper Pacemaker award. Beating out entries from schools such as Midwestern State University to win this coveted prize was no easy task but director of student media Chad Thomas noted it demonstrated the excellence of students on…
After Mariner 10, it took until 2004 for another spacecraft to orbit Mercury: the MESSENGER mission (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging). MESSENGER successfully completed an exhaustive map of Mercury’s surface as well as confirmed water ice in polar craters. Europe and Japan’s joint BepiColombo probe is gearing up for its seven-year journey to…
Many people eat fish as part of a healthy diet, but certain varieties contain high levels of mercury, which may be dangerous for developing fetuses and young children. Good news is that most popular fish species contain low amounts of mercury and pose little threat to most individuals. According to FDA recommendations, pregnant women should…
Mercury released into the air from coal-fired power plants, burning household waste or mining ore deposits can reach soil and water resources where bacterial processes may transform it into organic mercury-methylmercury forms. Methylmercury travels up the food chain, poisoning fish and wildlife that humans then ingest as well as finding its way into our drinking…
Mercury governs communication, and approximately three to four times every year it appears to move backwards – this phenomenon is known as Mercury Retrograde periods. Mercury Retrograde spans nine weeks and runs between Sagittarius and Capricorn, creating an alternating back-and-forth motion, offering the opportunity to review goals and dreams, according to McCord. Now is an…
Like Mercury, rocky planets may undergo changes due to internal forces which push and pull at crustal material, creating landforms such as volcanoes, mountains, and canyons. These forces are known as tectonics and may contribute to landform formation such as volcanoes. Scientists have various hypotheses as to what caused Mercury’s scarred surface, one being its…
Mercury is the smallest planet, orbiting our Sun in just 88 days and boasting a metallic core comprising 61% of its total volume. Due to its high density, mercury alloys easily with gold and silver; its rapid expansion rate made Mercury ideal as thermometer material until digital ones were introduced as thermometer alternatives. It is…
Mercury, located nearer to the Sun than Earth and much smaller, serves as an historical record of early events within our Solar System without being erased by water and ice erosion. Its sun-baked surface has preserved evidence of Earth’s early history without degradation from water and ice erosion. Chen-Wan Yen of JPL performed meticulous calculations…
