Abstract
THE recent radar measurements of Mercury indicate that the period of rotation of the planet is 59 ± 5 days1. This result is in complete disagreement with the previously quoted value of 88 days based on the visual observations of the markings on Mercury2–6. In this communication we show that the same visual observations can not only be reconciled with the radar-determined rotation period of Mercury but, in addition, can be used to derive an improved value for the period of rotation of the planet, namely, 58.4 ± 0.4 days.
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MCGOVERN, W., GROSS, S. & RASOOL, S. Rotation Period of the Planet Mercury. Nature 208, 375 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1038/208375a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/208375a0
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