More recent data, by radar in 1965, showed the rotational period was 58.6 days, 2/3 the orbital period or Mercury year of 88 days. Noon on a sundial on Mercury will show midnight one Mercury year later and noon again only after two Mercury years. A Mercury day is two Mercury years long! For details and sketches, see http://www.mira.org/fts0/planets/092/text/txt001x.htm or whatever else googling "Mercury rotation" brings up for you.
Good question. Thanks Anselmo. Roger Bailey Walking Shadow Designs N 48.6 W 123.4 -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Archie Kregear Sent: September 12, 2005 5:45 AM To: 'anselmo'; [email protected] Subject: RE: Sundial on the Moon? Mercury rotates around the sun at the same rate that it rotates around it's axis. Archie -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] But I am waiting for NASA to send a spaceship to Mercury's surface, because a sundial there would be most curious... do you guess why? Best regards, Anselmo Perez Serrada - - -
