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Mercury may be shrinking faster than scientists expected
NBC News • • science
Key Points:
- A new study from the German Aerospace Center’s Institute of Space Research reveals that Mercury is shrinking about 30% more than previously estimated, with a diameter loss of up to 14 miles on a planet roughly 3,000 miles wide.
- The planet’s rough surface, altered by debris from impact craters, has likely concealed much of this shrinkage, leading researchers to revise earlier measurements based on NASA’s Messenger spacecraft data.
- Mercury’s shrinkage results from the cooling and contraction of its large iron core and surrounding mantle and crust, a process ongoing since the planet’s formation 4.5 billion years ago.
- The European-Japanese BepiColombo mission, currently en route to Mercury, is expected to provide more precise data on the planet’s contraction using its onboard laser instrument.
- Researchers hope these findings will improve understanding of Mercury’s geological evolution and offer insights into the contraction processes of other planetary bodies.
