Could a human survive on the surface of Mercury?
How hospitable is Mercury to life?
Mercury is not a planet that would be easy to survive on but it may not be impossible. It is worth noting that without a space suit you would not survive very long at all, due to a lack of atmosphere. On top of this Mercury has one of the largest changes in temperature in the Solar System. During the day Mercury reaches a staggering 430 degrees Celsius, while at night the temperature plummets to -170 degrees Celsius.
One idea for survival is to stick to the ‘terminator’, the line where night meets day. Mercury’s slow rotation makes it possible to spend time here, but the region would have a temperature of around -100 degrees Celsius, so it’s still not the most pleasant place to live.
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