Moore on Mercury

Mercury presents unique challenges for amateur astronomers due to its proximity to the Sun, making it both difficult to observe and intriguing. Despite being only slightly larger than the Moon, it orbits the Sun at a mere 58 million km, in contrast to Earth's 150 million km distance. The planet experiences extreme temperature variations, with daytime surface temperatures soaring above 450°C, while the night side plummets to -180°C, highlighting its bizarre and fascinating nature.