Why does mercury have so many craters?

Answer 1

Like the Earth's Moon, Mercury has virtually no atmosphere, and no liquid water.

Atmospheres can destroy many incoming meteoroids before they reach the surface. Also, weather, water, and volcanism are the primary means of crater erosion seen on Earth. These are not active on Mercury. The overall number of impacts by meteors may be no more than any other planet; the craters persist because there is no mechanism to rapidly remove them, at least not over the few hundred years during which Mercury has been observed by telescope from Earth.

Answer 2

Mercury, like all other other planets, has been hit by asteroids and comets. However, unlike Earth, Venus, or Mars it has not atmosphere to protect it from impacts and no weather or geologic forces to destroy them.

Answer 3

Unlike the other rocky planets, Mercury has had little if any geologic activity since it formed. Forces such as erosion, volcanic eruptions and, in the case of Earth, plate tectonics will bury and destroy craters over time. None of these forces are present on Mercury, so craters remain for billions of years.

Answer 4

Like all the planets in the solar system, Mercury has been struck by many asteroids and comets, especially when the solar system was young. Unlike the other rocky planets, though, Mercury has no atmosphere, no volcanoes, and no plate tectonics. On other planets, there features gradually destroy or bury craters. Since Mercury lacks such activity its craters remain preserved for billions of years.

Answer 5

Mercury has craters for the same reason our moon does: because it has no atmosphere that protects the planet. This way, when big asteroids crash into Mercury, it creates a hole!

Answer 6

because it doesn't have a thick atmosphere so meteor's don't burn up and then they impact the planet

Answer 7

Really this should be common sense but i THINK it is because of weatherimg

Answer 8

because it is volatile

Answer 9

because of meteor impacts