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{| cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="margin:25px 0 0 10px; border:3px solid lightsteelblue;width:250px; font-size:100%; font-family:'Arial','Helvetica'; float: right; clear: right;"Template in Orbiter"
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{| cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="margin:25px 0 0 10px; border:3px solid lightsteelblue;width:250px; font-size:90%; font-family:'Arial','Helvetica'; float: right; clear: right;"Template in Orbiter"
 
!bgcolor="lightsteelblue" colspan="2" align="center" |Mercury
 
!bgcolor="lightsteelblue" colspan="2" align="center" |Mercury
 
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|colspan="2" align="center"|[[Image:MercuryScrshot.jpg|240px]]
 
|colspan="2" align="center"|[[Image:MercuryScrshot.jpg|240px]]
 
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|colspan="2" align="center"|'''Mercury in Orbiter 2016 with D3D9'''
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|colspan="2" align="center"|'''Mercury in Orbiter'''
 
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|-
 
!bgcolor="lightsteelblue" colspan="2"|Designation
 
!bgcolor="lightsteelblue" colspan="2"|Designation
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|Name||align="right"|Mercury
 
|Name||align="right"|Mercury
 
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|-
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|Reference body||align="right"|Sun
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|width="30%"|Reference body||align="right" width="30%"|Sun
 
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|-
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|Number of satellites||align="right" width="30%"|0
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|width="30%"|Number of satellites||align="right" width="30%"|0
 
|-
 
|-
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!bgcolor="lightsteelblue" colspan="2"|Planetary mean orbit
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!bgcolor="lightsteelblue" colspan="2"|Planetary mean orbits
 
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|-
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|Epoch||align="right"|J2000 (1 January 2000)
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|width="30%"|Epoch||align="right" width="50%"|J2000 (1 January 2000)
 
|-
 
|-
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|Semimajor axis (a)||align="right" |0.38709893 AU <br> 5.790917567×10<sup>7</sup> km)
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|width="30%"|Semimajor axis (a)||align="right" width="50%"|0.38709893 AU <br> 5.790917567×10<sup>7</sup> km)
 
|-
 
|-
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|Eccentricity (e)||align="right"|0.20563069
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|width="30%"|Eccentricity (e)||align="right" width="30%"|0.20563069
 
|-
 
|-
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|Inclination (i)||align="right"|7.00487° <br> (0.122258 radian)
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|width="30%"|Inclination (i)||align="right" width="30%"|7.00487° <br> (0.122258 radian)
 
|-
 
|-
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|Longitude of the ascending node (LAN, ☊)||align="right"|48.33167° <br> (0.8436468 radian)
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|width="30%"|Longitude of the ascending node (LAN, ☊)||align="right" width="30%"|48.33167° <br> (0.8436468 radian)
 
|-
 
|-
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|Longitude of periapsis (ϖ)||align="right"|77.45645° <br> (1.351870 radian)
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|width="30%"|Longitude of periapsis (ϖ)||align="right" width="30%"|77.45645° <br> (1.351870 radian)
 
|-
 
|-
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|Mean longitude (L)||align="right"|252.25084° <br> (4.402608 radian)
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|width="30%"|Mean longitude (L)||align="right" width="30%"|252.25084° <br> (4.402608 radian)
 
|-
 
|-
 
!bgcolor="lightsteelblue" colspan="2"|Planetary orbital element centennial rates
 
!bgcolor="lightsteelblue" colspan="2"|Planetary orbital element centennial rates
 
|-
 
|-
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|Semimajor axis (a)||align="right"|0.00000066 AU/Century
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|width="30%"|Semimajor axis (a)||align="right" width="50%"|0.00000066 AU/Century
 
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|-
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|Eccentricity (e)||align="right"|0.00002527 Century<sup>-1</sup>
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|width="30%"|Eccentricity (e)||align="right" width="50%"|0.00002527 Century<sup>-1</sup>
 
|-
 
|-
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|Inclination (i)||align="right"|-23.51 seconds/Century
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|width="30%"|Inclination (i)||align="right" width="30%"|-23.51 seconds/Century
 
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|Longitude of the ascending node (LAN, ☊)||align="right"|-446.30 seconds/Century
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|width="30%"|Longitude of the ascending node (LAN, ☊)||align="right" width="30%"|-446.30 seconds/Century
 
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|-
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|Longitude of periapsis (ϖ)||align="right"|573.57 seconds/Century
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|width="30%"|Longitude of periapsis (ϖ)||align="right" width="30%"|573.57 seconds/Century
 
|-
 
|-
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|Mean longitude (L)||align="right"|538101628.29 seconds/Century
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|width="30%"|Mean longitude (L)||align="right" width="30%"|538101628.29 seconds/Century
 
|-
 
|-
 
!bgcolor="lightsteelblue" colspan="2"|Selected physical parameters
 
!bgcolor="lightsteelblue" colspan="2"|Selected physical parameters
 
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|-
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|width="30%"|Mean radius||align="right"|2440 km
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|width="30%"|Mean radius||align="right" width="30%"|2440 km
 
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|Mass||align="right"|3.301880×10<sup>23</sup> kg
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|width="30%"|Mass||align="right" width="30%"|3.301880×10<sup>23</sup> kg
 
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|-
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|Density||align="right"|5.427 g/cm<sup>3</sup>
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|width="30%"|Density||align="right" width="30%"|5.427 g/cm<sup>3</sup>
 
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|-
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|Sidereal rotation period||align="right"|1407.509 hours
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|width="30%"|Sidereal rotation period||align="right" width="30%"|1407.509 hours
 
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|Sidereal orbit period||align="right"|0.2408445 years
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|width="30%"|Sidereal orbit period||align="right" width="30%"|0.2408445 years
 
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|-
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|Magnitude V(1,0)||align="right"|-0.42
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|width="30%"|Magnitude V(1,0)||align="right" width="30%"|-0.42
 
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|Geometric albedo||align="right"|0.106
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|width="30%"|Geometric albedo||align="right" width="30%"|0.106
 
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|-
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|Equatorial gravity||align="right"|3.6964 m/s<sup>2</sup>
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|width="30%"|Equatorial gravity||align="right" width="30%"|3.701 m/s<sup>2</sup>
 
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|-
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|Orbital speed at surface||align="right"|3005 m/s
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|width="30%"|Escape velocity||align="right" width="30%"|4.435 km/s
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|-
 
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|Escape velocity||align="right"|4.435 km/s
 
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|-
 
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|SOI radius (estimated)||align="right"|28385 km
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
!bgcolor="lightsteelblue" colspan="2"|Rotation elements
 
!bgcolor="lightsteelblue" colspan="2"|Rotation elements
 
|-
 
|-
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|North pole right ascension (α<sub>1</sup>)||align="right"|280.99°
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|width="30%"|North pole right ascension (α<sub>1</sup>)||align="right" width="30%"|280.99°
 
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|-
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|North pole declination (δ<sub>1</sup>)||align="right"|61.44°
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|width="30%"|North pole declination (δ<sub>1</sup>)||align="right" width="30%"|61.44°
 
|-
 
|-
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|Obliquty of ecliptic||align="right"|7.01°
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|width="30%"|Obliqutiy of ecliptic||align="right" width="30%"|7.01°
 
|-
 
|-
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|Longitude of Sun's transit||align="right"|228.31°
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|width="30%"|Longitude of Sun's transit||align="right" width="30%"|228.31°
 
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|Note||align="right"|*Elements given are from Orbiter.pdf (2016)
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|width="30%"|Note||align="right" width="30%"|*Elements given are from Orbiter.pdf (2016)
 
|}
 
|}
  
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'''Mercury''' is the smallest planet in the [[Solar system|solar system]] and is the closest to the [[Sun|sun]]. Mercury is a rocky planet appearing much like the [[Moon|moon]] and has virtually no atmosphere (none is modeled in Orbiter), and has no natural satellites. Mercury has been a part of Orbiter since the earliest version in 2001.
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'''Mercury''' is the smallest planet in the [[Solar system|solar system]] and is the closest to the [[Sun|sun]]. Mercury is a rocky planet appearing much like the [[Moon|moon]] and has virtually no atmosphere (none is modeled in Orbiter), and has no natural satellites.
  
 
Mercury was visited in 1974 and 1975 by Mariner 10 in two flybys and was again visited by MESSENGER spacecraft orbiting Mercury from 2011 to 2015 when it was deorbited. BepiColombo, a joint mission by the European Space Ageny (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Exploraation Agency (JAXA) was launched on 20 October 2018 and is scheduled to reach Mercury on 5 December 2025.
 
Mercury was visited in 1974 and 1975 by Mariner 10 in two flybys and was again visited by MESSENGER spacecraft orbiting Mercury from 2011 to 2015 when it was deorbited. BepiColombo, a joint mission by the European Space Ageny (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Exploraation Agency (JAXA) was launched on 20 October 2018 and is scheduled to reach Mercury on 5 December 2025.
  
 
== Orbital characteristics ==
 
== Orbital characteristics ==
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Mercury is the innermost planet in the system with a semimajor axis of 5.79×10<sup>7</sup> km. But, the orbital eccentricity is the largest of all the planets, about 0.2056, its distance ranging from 46 million to almost 70 million km from the Sun, and the inclination of its orbit is just over 7°, also largest of all the planets. In Orbiter 2001, Mercury's orbit was defined by the Mercury.cfg file, from Orbiter 2002 on, its orbit has been defined by the Vsop87.dll file.
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Mercury is the innermost planet in the system with a semimajor axis of 5.79×10<sup>7</sup> km. But, the orbital eccentricity is the largest of all the planets, about 0.2056, its distance ranging from 46 million to almost 70 million km from the Sun, and the inclination of its orbit is just over 7°, also largest of all the planets.  
  
 
== Physical characteristics ==
 
== Physical characteristics ==
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CAUTION! It is to be noted by pilots flying close to the ground at Mercury when approaching the North and South poles. If the vessel crosses either pole at low altitude and any great speed, errors in the simulator causes the scenario to freeze and may cause Crash to Desktop. However, if the pole is approached at very low speed, perhaps one or a few meters per second, the vessel can pass over and even land at the pole.
 
CAUTION! It is to be noted by pilots flying close to the ground at Mercury when approaching the North and South poles. If the vessel crosses either pole at low altitude and any great speed, errors in the simulator causes the scenario to freeze and may cause Crash to Desktop. However, if the pole is approached at very low speed, perhaps one or a few meters per second, the vessel can pass over and even land at the pole.
  
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The landing and docking lights on the DeltaGlider do no light up the terrain, but will light up another object such as a ship.
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== Add-ons ==
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===== Topography and Textures =====
 
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Table of Orbiter versions and add-ons which include Mercury as a body.
 
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{|class="wikitable sortable” style="text-align: center"
 
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|-
 
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|colspan="8"|<center>Orbiter versions and add-ons which include Mercury</center>
 
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!Add-on!!Source!!Version!!Author!!Type!!Release Date!!Compatibility!!Wiki article
 
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|[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/orbiter-2016-torrent-files.5427/ Orbiter 2016 - torrent files]||O-F Resources||2016||martins||Orbiter Download||23 August 2016||Orbiter 2016||
 
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|[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/orbiter-2016-core-msi-exe-edition.5426/ Orbiter 2016 Core - MSI / EXE edition]||O-F Resources||2016||martins||Orbiter Download||23 August 2016||Orbiter 2016||
 
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|-
 
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|[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/orbiter-2016-core-zip-edition.5425/ Orbiter 2016 Core - ZIP edition]||O-F Resources||2016||martins||Orbiter download||23 August 2016||Orbiter 2016||
 
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|[http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/download.html Orbiter core package download]<br>(The actual download page for Orbiter 2016)||Orbiter download page||Orbiter 2016||martins||Orbiter download||23 August 2016||Orbiter 2016||
 
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|[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/celestial-bodies-motion-part-1-4-v2-0-0.132/ Celestial Bodies Motion - Part 1/4 - v2.0.0]||O-F Resources||v2.0.0||cristiapi||Scenery||2 July 2015||*module only||
 
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|[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/orbiter-2010-p1.5428/ Orbiter 2010-P1]||O-F Resources||100830||martins||Orbiter Download||30 August 2010||Orbiter 2010-P1||
 
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|[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/orbiter-2010.5429/ Orbiter 2010]||O-F Resources||100606||martins||Orbiter Download||5 June 2010||Orbiter 2010||
 
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|-
 
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|[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/orbiter-2006-p1.5430/ Orbiter 2006-P1]||O-F Resources||060929||martins||Orbiter Download||29 September 2006||Orbiter 2006-P1||
 
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|[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/orbiter-2006.5431/ Orbiter 2006]||O-F Resources||060504||martins||Orbiter Download||4 May 2006||Orbiter 2006||
 
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|-
 
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|[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/2005-with-p1-patch-files.5432/ 2005 (with P1 patch files)]||O-F Resources||050216||martins||Orbiter Download||16 February 2005||Orbiter 2005||
 
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|[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/orbiter-2003-p2.5433/ Orbiter 2003-P2]||O-F Resources||031217||martins||Orbiter Download||17 December 2003||Orbiter 2003-P2||
 
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|[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/orbiter-2003-p1.5434/ Orbiter 2003-P1]||O-F Resources||031105||martins||Orbiter Download||5 November 2003||Orbiter 2003-P1|
 
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|[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/orbiter-2002.5436/ Orbiter 2002]||O-F Resources||020419||martins||Orbiter Download||19 April 2002||Orbiter 2002||
 
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|[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/orbiter-2001.5437/ Orbiter 2001]||O-F Resources||010503||martins||Orbiter Download||3 May 2001||Orbiter 2001||
 
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|}
 
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*[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/planet-mercury-level-8-high-resolution-surface.3449/ Planet Mercury Level 8 High Resolution Surface] released 19 October 2004 by BigJimW providing level 8 textures for Mercury.
 
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*[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/mercury-level-8-textures.3682/ Mercury level 8 textures] released 23 January 2012 by ''Felipi1205'', provides level 8 texture for Mercury.
 
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*[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/mercury-heightmap-level-9-global-textures.3679/ Mercury heightmap + Level 9 global textures], released 23 April 2013 by ''4throck'', provides level 9 topogrraphy and textures for Mercury.
 
*[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/mercury-heightmap-level-9-global-textures.3679/ Mercury heightmap + Level 9 global textures], released 23 April 2013 by ''4throck'', provides level 9 topogrraphy and textures for Mercury.
  
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*[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/mercury-surface-and-heightmap-tiles-for-orbiter-2016.1694/ Mercury surface and heightmap tiles for Orbiter 2016], released 1 December 2016 by ''asbjos'', provides level 7 topography and level 8 surface features for the planet. A new Mercury.cfg will load the 3D terrain, however, the existing mercury.cfg should be backed up before installation.
 
*[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/mercury-surface-and-heightmap-tiles-for-orbiter-2016.1694/ Mercury surface and heightmap tiles for Orbiter 2016], released 1 December 2016 by ''asbjos'', provides level 7 topography and level 8 surface features for the planet. A new Mercury.cfg will load the 3D terrain, however, the existing mercury.cfg should be backed up before installation.
  
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===== Mariner 10 =====
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* Mariner 10 - Historically the first probe to use gravitational assists and first probe to visit Mercury. It made three fly-by's of Mercury between November 1973 and March 1974, but did not enter orbit. Two add-ons are available at OrbitHangar - [https://www.orbithangar.com/showAddon.php?id=52ff79a3-224f-45d3-b1c2-b3ee43ac0e74 GEP-Mariner 10 by missleman01] and [https://www.orbithangar.com/showAddon.php?id=adbe84c8-5d29-41d7-aac3-72310579cd4c GEP - Mariner 10 to Orbiter 2010 by felipi1205]. It is unknown if these are compatible with Orbiter 2016.
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Historically the first probe to use gravitational assists and first probe to visit Mercury. It made three fly-by's of Mercury between November 1973 and March 1974, but did not enter orbit.
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* MESSENGER - Historically the first probe to enter orbit around Mercury. After three fly-by's between January 2008 and September 2009, it entered an highly elliptical orbit around Mercury on March 18th, 2011. This probe is modeled in Orbiter in several add-ons [https://www.orbithangar.com/showAddon.php?id=dfb4c010-d4c1-4be7-8237-28b42217229a Messenger by Ëåäíåff], [https://www.orbithangar.com/showAddon.php?id=43753e2e-1acb-42a1-8cb3-74d0cc95f683 GEP-Messenger by thexfiles19], and [https://www.orbithangar.com/showAddon.php?id=531b7cf9-2a87-4c2d-9d6b-046a8eedfd1a MESSENGER MOI by nukeet]. It is unknown which versions these add-ons are compatible with.
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* [https://www.orbithangar.com/showAddon.php?id=0f6275a0-ad1c-4e9b-a80e-a9f8823d3091 Mercury level 7 topography and level 8 textures at Orbit Hangar]
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*[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/gep-mariner-10-to-orbiter-2010.4461/ GEP - Mariner 10 to Orbiter 2010], released 29 May 2011 by ''Felipi125''.
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* [https://www.orbithangar.com/showAddon.php?id=8d0f7087-971b-48d8-b84f-6ab43bfd5161 Mercury Level 8 texture at Orbit Hangar]
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* [http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=5570 Mercury Level 9 Textures at Orbit Hangar] The texture was created using mosaics of the planet Mercury with pictures taken by the MESSENGER spacecraft in 2011
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*[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/gep-mariner-10.1323/ GEP - Mariner 10] released 19 June 2004 by ''missleman01''.
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* [https://www.orbithangar.com/showAddon.php?id=0cf77fcf-af77-4fe9-bbf0-a332d1596a7f Mercury Level 11 texture at Orbit Hangar]
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===== MESSENGER =====
 
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Historically the first probe to enter orbit around Mercury. After three fly-by's between January 2008 and September 2009, it entered an highly elliptical orbit around Mercury on March 18th, 2011.
 
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*[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/messenger.426/ Messenger] released 26 JUne 2006 by unknown author.
 
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*[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/messenger-moi.1569/ MESSENGER MOI] released 14 March 2011 by ''NukekET''.
 
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*[https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/gep-messenger.4163/ GEP-Messenger] released 7 March 2012 by ''TheXFiles19''.
 
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
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*[[w:Mariner 10|Mariner 10 mission]] at Wikipedia
 
*[[w:Mariner 10|Mariner 10 mission]] at Wikipedia
 
*[[w:MESSENGER|MESSENGER mission]] at Wikipedia
 
*[[w:MESSENGER|MESSENGER mission]] at Wikipedia
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<gallery widths="100" heights="100">
 
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MercuryOrbiter2001.jpg|<center>Mercury in Orbiter 2001</center>
 
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MercuryOrbiter2002.jpg|<center>Mercury in Orbiter 2002</center>
 
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Mercury-orbiter2002p3.jpg|<center>Mercury in Orbiter 2002P3</center>
 
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Mercury-Orbiter2003P2.jpg|<center>Mercury in Orbiter 2003P2</center>
 
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Mercury-Orbiter2005P1.jpg|<center>Mercury in Orbiter 2005P1</center>
 
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Mercury-Orbiter2006P1.jpg|<center>Mercury in Orbiter 2006P1</center>
 
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Mercury-Orbiter2010P1-Orbiter2010P1.jpg|<center>Mercury in Orbiter 2010P1</center>
 
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MercuryScrshot.jpg|<center>Mercury in Orbiter 2016 with D3D9</center>
 
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Mercury in true color.jpg|<center>Mercury as seen by [[w:MESSENGER|MESSENGER]]
 
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Terrestrial planet size comparisons-2.jpg|<center>Inner Solar System bodies for size comparison<br>from left<br>Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars, Ceres<br>from Wikimedia Commons</center>
 
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InnerSolarSystem.jpg|<center>View of the inner Solar System showing the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars<br>from JPL Horizons Orbit Viewer</center>
 
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</gallery>
 
  
 
== References ==
 
== References ==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
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[[Category:Celestial bodies]]
 
[[Category:Celestial bodies]]
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{{SolarSystem}}
 
{{SolarSystem}}
 
{{Planet-Stub}}
 
{{Planet-Stub}}
  
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[[Category:Articles]]
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[[Category: Articles]]
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[[Category:Celestial bodies]]
 
 
[[Category:Solar System]]
 
[[Category:Solar System]]
 
[[Category: Planets]]
 
[[Category: Planets]]

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