Little Mercury may be shrinking faster than scientists expected - NBC Connecticut
New research indicates that Mercury is shrinking more rapidly than previously estimated, with a loss in diameter of up to 14 miles. Scientists believe the planet's cooling iron core is causing the crust to contract, a process that has been ongoing for billions of years.
Why it matters
Refining our understanding of Mercury's geological evolution helps planetary scientists better model the cooling processes of terrestrial planets.
A new study shows that little, wrinkly Mercury may be shrinking faster than expected, the cosmos’ version of a grape shriveling into a raisin under the sun.
Scientists from the German Aerospace Center’s Institute of Space Research reported Thursday that Mercury’s shrinkage may be 30% greater than previously believed — a loss in diameter of as much as 14 miles (23 kilometers). That’s significant for a planet barely 3,000 miles (4,900 kilometers) across.
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Mercury’s rough surface, continually reshaped by debris hurled from impact craters, may have hidden the true extent of the loss, according to the researchers whose findings appear in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
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