What factors make life as we know it impossible on Mercury?

Answer 1

The planet is rock. You life cannot exist inside rock (to be sure in the cracks and fissures of rocks on Earth there is some life... but, see below).

Life probably does not exist on Mercury because of the lack of atmosphere and the proximity to the Sun makes for extremes of temperature that no known life form could withstand.

Answer 2

No water. Answer: Life on Earth can be found in some pretty inhospitable places: inside nuclear reactors, in the rocks in gold mines, in sulfuric acid pools, in the black smokers beneath the ocean, and the boiling hot water of hot springs, so don't count it out anywhere. Mercury is very hot on the one side that faces the sun and very cold on the side that is always turned away. The potential for life exists in the twilight band between the two extremes. Carbon based oxygen using life is not a contender in that bothential ecology. Mars has every potential for having life. It was a t one time a wet plnet with an atmosphere. Evidence at the present time indicates the presence of ice with periodic melting episodes. the air is thin and the planet is cold, but life is tenuos andif it started it my have found a way to hang on. But don't get your hopes up for Edgar Rice Burroughs six legged Martian lions or such.

Answer 3

Life is not impossible on Mars, but the most thorough analysis we have been able to carry out up to this point seem to indicate that there is no life on Mars. But the simple forms of life (bacteria, molds, etc.) could find everything they need on Mars in many cases. Life on Venus would seem to be impossible, life on Mercury would seem to be impossible, too. But it could be possible on Mars.

Answer 4

On Mercury the temperature differences are extreme, there is virtually no atmosphere and no water. If there are traces of water, it is too little to make a difference. It is about as inhospitable a place as you can imagine.

Mercury experiences extremes of temperature. It rotates very slowly so the "day" lasts 88 of our days and correspondingly, the "night" there lasts 88 of our days. Daytime temperatures reach over 400 °C while nighttime temperatures may drop below -170 °C. Even known thermophiles have a tough time tolerating the high temperatures - which are far too high to allow liquid water. At the other extreme - any water would freeze solid. Since all life that we are familiar with requires the potential for liquid water, life on Mercury would have a hard time developing.

Answer 5

There is no water or oxygen also the planet is made up of craters and is formed off iron. The planet's day temperature is 450 degrees Celcius
theirs no water or oxygen