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Which is the smallest planet in the solar system?
A. Mars
B. Mercury
C. Venus
D. Earth
Correct Answer Is Option = Mercury
Notes / Explanation
The smallest planet in the solar system is Mercury, which is also the planet that lies closest to the Sun. The solar system consists of the Sun together with the planets and other bodies that move around it, and the planets vary greatly in size, from the largest, which is an enormous giant planet, down to the smallest, which is Mercury. Mercury is a small, rocky planet, considerably smaller than the Earth, and being the closest planet to the Sun, it is subject to the intense heat of the Sun on the side that faces it. Mercury has almost no atmosphere, that is, almost no layer of air around it, and because of this it does not retain heat, so that although the side facing the Sun becomes extremely hot, the side facing away becomes extremely cold, and there is a very great difference between the temperatures of the two sides, as well as between day and night. The lack of an atmosphere also means that the surface of Mercury is exposed and is covered with craters, the marks left by the impacts of objects that have struck it over a very long time, giving it a surface somewhat similar in appearance to that of the Moon. Mercury moves quickly around the Sun, completing its journey around the Sun in a much shorter time than the Earth, so that a year on Mercury is much shorter than a year on the Earth, which is fitting for the planet named after a swift messenger of ancient mythology. Because it is close to the Sun, Mercury can sometimes be seen from the Earth low in the sky near the time of sunrise or sunset, though it is not always easy to see. It has no moons of its own. The study of the planets, including the largest and the smallest, and their features and differences, is an important part of the study of the solar system. Knowing the order and the relative sizes of the planets is a useful part of general knowledge. For PPSC and other competitive examinations, the key points to remember are that the smallest planet in the solar system is Mercury, that it is also the planet closest to the Sun, that it is a small rocky planet with almost no atmosphere, so that it has extreme differences of temperature and a surface covered with craters, and that it moves quickly around the Sun, completing its journey in a much shorter time than the Earth.
