I really need to know and I knew that Yahoo answers would help alot. I just hope that someone would answer my question correctly. Thanks.
2007-07-24 03:59:58 · 9 answers · asked by Andrea 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
HOW MERCURY WAS DISCOVERED
(Bill Yenne, "The Atlas of the Solar System," Brompton Books Corp., Greenwich, 1987, p. 23.)
* Johann Hieronymus Schroeter was the first to observe the planet Mercury and record detailed drawings of Mercury's surface features. Schroeter lived from 1745 to 1816. Unfortunately, his sketches were not very accurate.
* Streaks similar to the so-called "Martian Canals" were also seen on Mercury by Schiaparellit and Percival Lowell (1855-1916).
* An astronomer by the name of Eugenios Antoniadi (1870-1944) charted the surface of Mercury in great detail. His maps were used for almost 50 years. He used one of the stronger telescopes of his time and found the canals to be optical illusions.
* Mariner 10 provided a close look at Mercury which redrew earlier telescope .
Hope this helps you``^^^
2007-07-24 05:01:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
The first telescopic observations of Mercury were made by Galileo in the early 17th century. Although he observed phases when he looked at Venus, his telescope was not powerful enough to see the phases of Mercury. In 1631 Pierre Gassendi made the first observations of the transit of a planet across the Sun when he saw a transit of Mercury predicted by Johannes Kepler. In 1639 Giovanni Zupi used a telescope to discover that the planet had orbital phases similar to Venus and the Moon
2007-07-24 04:20:10 · answer #2 · answered by praneeth 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What no-one has yet pointed out, and should have done given the wording of your question, is that Mercury is a naked eye planet and has been observed since ancient times. No-one can therefore be identified as the 'discoverer' of Mercury.
2007-07-24 04:27:47 · answer #3 · answered by Jason T 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Schroeter was the first to observe the planet Mercury and record detailed ... Instruments on Mariner 10 discovered that Mercury has a weak magnetic field
2007-07-24 04:03:05 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a question that noone can actually answer.. Mercury was visible from earth from naked eyes.. What i know that in the Holy books of Hindus, which are more than 5000 years old.. there is mention of Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter which were visible with naked eye.. but their message was not conveyed to rest of the world (this happened to almost all the ancient discoveries in india) and thats why there is no record on International level but still you can find it in the Holy Books of Hindus.!!
2007-07-24 04:34:04 · answer #5 · answered by Harsh M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jason T, Harsh M, and tham153 are all correct.
Saying that someone "discovered" Mercury by just looking up in the sky is like saying that someone discovered the Sun or the Moon.
2007-07-24 06:48:07 · answer #6 · answered by RationalThinker 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Mercury was first observed by Johann Hieronymus Schroeter.
2007-07-24 04:06:47 · answer #7 · answered by Shavvo 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Some people think it is gallilao
2007-07-26 09:01:26 · answer #8 · answered by cones2210 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Freddie Mercury i think! ;-)
Just jokin - Dont have a flippin' clue!
Good luck!
2007-07-24 04:08:03 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋