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Little Mercury may be shrinking faster than scientists expected
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Key Points:
- A new study from the German Aerospace Center’s Institute of Space Research reveals that Mercury is shrinking up to 30% more than previously estimated, with a diameter loss of as much as 14 miles (23 kilometers).
- The planet’s rough surface, altered by debris from impact craters, may have concealed the true extent of its shrinkage, according to the researchers.
- The BepiColombo spacecraft, en route to Mercury and expected to enter orbit in November, will use laser instruments to verify the degree of Mercury’s contraction caused by internal cooling.
- Mercury’s shrinkage results from the cooling and contraction of its large iron core, mantle, and crust over 4.5 billion years, causing the planet’s surface to wrinkle and tighten.
- The study’s findings, published in Geophysical Research Letters, offer a new perspective on Mercury’s geological evolution and may provide insights into other contracting planetary bodies.
