<Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article contains special characters . Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols . </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article contains special characters . Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols . </Td> </Tr> <P> Mercury is the smallest and innermost planet in the Solar System . Its orbital period around the Sun of 88 days is the shortest of all the planets in the Solar System . It is named after the Roman deity Mercury, the messenger to the gods . </P> <P> Like Venus, Mercury orbits the Sun within Earth's orbit as an inferior planet, and never exceeds 28 ° away from the Sun . When viewed from Earth, this proximity to the Sun means the planet can only be seen near the western or eastern horizon during the early evening or early morning . At this time it may appear as a bright star - like object, but is often far more difficult to observe than Venus . The planet telescopically displays the complete range of phases, similar to Venus and the Moon, as it moves in its inner orbit relative to Earth, which reoccurs over the so - called synodic period approximately every 116 days . </P>

Where is mercury located in the solar system