Mercury

Mercury, the smallest and innermost planet in our solar system, is a fascinating world of extremes. Its surface, heavily cratered from countless asteroid impacts, resembles our Moon. Days are scorchingly hot, while nights plummet to frigid temperatures due to the planet's lack of an atmosphere to retain heat. Mercury's orbit is highly elliptical, resulting in significant temperature variations across its surface. Despite its proximity to the Sun, ice has been detected in permanently shadowed craters at its poles, a testament to the unique conditions found on this small, intensely radiated world.