Why are there such large extremes in temperature over a day on Mercury?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question focus: why does Mercury experience such wide temperature swings over a single day?
Option 1: 'It is so far away from the Sun.' While Mercury is closer to the Sun than Earth, the reason for the extreme day-night temperatures is not its distance alone. In fact, being nearer enhances solar input, but without a substantial atmosphere to trap heat, the surface still cools rapidly at night. So this statement misses the key mechanism and is not the primary explanation.
Option 2: 'There are so many craters.' Craters shape the terrain, but their presence doesn't drive the large thermal swings. Temperature on Mercury is controlled by the atmosphere (or lack thereof) and how quickly the surface heats and cools, not by crater abundance per se.
Option 3: 'There is so little atmosphere.' This is the central reason. Mercury has an extremely tenuous exosphere rather than a substantial atmosphere, which means there is no significant greenhouse effect to retain heat at night, and no atmosphere to redistribute heat during the day. Consequently, daytime surfaces become very hot under direct sunlight, while nighttime radiation loss causes rapid cooling, producing the dramatic day-night temperature range.
Option 4: 'There is so much iron in the core.' The core composition affects internal heat and geodynamics, but it does not directly create the observed surface temperature extremes. The surface temperature pattern is governed by surface energy balance, not core iron content.
Option 5: 'It is due to the magnetic field.' Mercury does have a magnetic field, but this field has little direct influence on the large-scale surface temperature swings. The thermal extremes arise mainly from the lack of a thick, heat-trapping atmosphere and the long, unmoderated solar heating period followed by rapid radiative cooling.
In summary, the decisive factor is the scarcity of a substantial atmosphere (or greenhouse effect) which prevents heat retention and redistribution, leading to extreme day-to-night temperatures; the other options either misconstrue the physics involved or point to secondary factors that do not drive the observed thermal behavior.

ASTRON 2140 AU2025 (23428) Final - 2025 Dec 12

Why are there such large extremes in temperature over a day on Mercury?

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