Published • loading... • Updated
Mercury shrinking much more than scientists previously thought
Researchers say impact debris has hidden Mercury’s wrinkles, and a new analysis suggests the planet lost as much as 14.5 miles in diameter.
- On Thursday, scientists from the German Aerospace Center's Institute of Space Research reported that Mercury is shrinking 30% more than previously believed, with a loss in diameter of as much as 14 miles.
- Since its formation 4.5 billion years ago, Mercury has steadily contracted as its hot iron core cools, causing the rocky surface to crumple and crack to accommodate the planet's shrinking size.
- Debris from asteroid and comet impacts masked "wrinkle" features on Mercury's surface, leading researchers to underestimate total contraction; the planet's diameter may have changed by up to 14.5 miles rather than the previously estimated 2.5 to 10 miles.
- Lead study author Gaku Nishiyama, a planetary scientist at the German Aerospace Center, explained that greater shrinkage suggests Mercury could have a larger metal core or higher starting temperature. "It made us think that there's a process obscuring shortening structures," Nishiyama said.
- The joint European Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency mission BepiColombo will begin collecting higher-resolution scans in November, helping clarify Mercury's interior evolution and confirming the planet's true shrinkage rate.
Insights by Ground AI
77 Articles
77 Articles
New estimates based on the surface wrinkles of the planet show that our smallest planet is shrinking even further, at a faster rate than expected
Coverage Details
Total News Sources77
Leaning Left10Leaning Right12Center37Last UpdatedBias Distribution63% Center
Bias Distribution
- 63% of the sources are Center
63% Center
L 17%
C 63%
R 20%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
