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double sunset

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this is my favourite random factoid about mercury. on most planets the sun moves from east to west, then venus decides to be different and has the sun move from west to east, and then mercury comes along and says “¿porque no los dos?” and makes the sun do a whole reverse parking manoeuvre and then carry on like it was nothing.

i should probably mention that this happens over the course of about 8 earth days and there’s no atmosphere for the sun to light up orange, so it would probably also be the most boring sunset in the solar system, but somehow i don’t think sedna would mind.

Transcripts

sedna: mercury has a super elliptical orbit, and moves much faster at its closest point to the sun (perihelion).

sedna: since it rotates so slowly but orbits so fast, when mercury reaches its perihelion the sun stops in the sky and goes backwards. before turning around and heading west again.

sedna: from just the right point on the planet, astronauts could watch the only double sunset in the solar system… an event so romantic it would make any couple instantly fall in love.

sedna: …so i’m just gonna add that to the top of our first date ideas list.
dini: th-there’s a list?!

Webcomic Transcript Authorsthomas

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