Association
- Budha
- Budhavara
- Wednesday (day of Odin)
- Hermes
Orbit and Rotation
Mercury has a highly elliptical orbit and is about 58 million kilometers away from the Sun at its closest point. It completes an orbit around the Sun every 88 Earth days, which is the shortest of all the planets in the Solar System. Interestingly, Mercury’s rotational period is about 59 Earth days, so it rotates very slowly compared to its orbital speed.
Physical Characteristics
Mercury is a rocky planet, similar to Earth, but it’s much smaller with a diameter of about 3,032 miles (4,880 kilometers). Its small size means it has a weak gravitational force, only about 38% of Earth’s gravity.
Mercury is the Roman name for Hermes, the Greek god of trade, communication, travel, and thievery. Hermes/Mercury is known for being a messenger of the gods and a guide for souls to the underworld.
Budha (Sanskrit: बुध) is the Sanskrit word for the planet Mercury. Budha is also a god of Planet Mercury.
Budha is the root of the word ‘Budhavara’ or Wednesday in the Hindu calendar. The word “Wednesday” in the Greco-Roman and other Indo-European calendars is also dedicated to planet Mercury (“day of Odin”).
