Mercury often appears as a bright object in the sky because:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mercury often appears as a bright object in the sky because of its nearness to the Sun, which causes it to reflect sunlight strongly and appear as a bright star-like object in the sky. Its nearness to Earth also contributes to its brightness, but not as much as its proximity to the Sun. Its albedo (reflectivity) is actually quite low. The contraction of Mercury's core has no significant impact on its visible brightness.

Mercury Often Appears as a Bright Object in the Sky