The Problem with Mercury

What is Mercury?

The word mercury has several meanings. In ancient Rome, Mercury was the name of a god that could run as fast as the wind. In our solar system, Mercury is a small, fast-moving planet that is closest to the sun. Mercury is also the name for a metal, or an element or chemical found in the Earth's crust. It usually comes from the mineral or rock called cinnabar. When heated at high temperatures, mercury is removed or extracted from cinnabar.