Mercury is shrinking faster than expected, new study suggests
Scientists have discovered that Mercury is shrinking 30% faster than previously estimated as its iron core cools. Researchers used data from NASA's Messenger spacecraft to reach these findings, which will be further investigated by the upcoming BepiColombo mission.
Why it matters
Understanding the geological evolution of Mercury provides critical insights into the formation and cooling processes of terrestrial planets in our solar system.
Mercury is shrinking. Yes, our solar system sibling is getting smaller, and faster than scientists originally predicted. Scientists compared Mercury’s shrinkage to 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.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.The shrinkage could…
Also covering this story
2 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in