Did you know that the closest planet to the sun, Mercury, has a tail much like a comet? You can see it in photographs taken with special filters to highlight sodium blown off the planet by the solar wind.
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Kelly Kizer Whitt has been a science writer specializing in astronomy for more than two decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine, and she has made regular contributions to AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club, among other outlets. Her children's picture book, Solar System Forecast, was published in 2012. She has also written a young adult dystopian novel titled A Different Sky. When she is not reading or writing about astronomy and staring up at the stars, she enjoys traveling to the national parks, creating crossword puzzles, running, tennis, and paddleboarding. Kelly lives with her family in Wisconsin.
Did you know that the closest planet to the sun, Mercury, has a tail much like a comet? You can see it in photographs taken with special filters to highlight sodium blown off the planet by the solar wind.