Mercury's Hidden Contraction: Up to 14.5 Miles Shrunk, Study Finds
TL;DR Summary
New research suggests Mercury's diameter has shrunk by as much as about 14.5 miles—roughly 30% more than previously thought—due to cooling of its interior, though debris from impacts hides surface wrinkles; the upcoming BepiColombo mission, arriving in 2026, will help refine how much Mercury has contracted.
- Hidden clues show Mercury shrank more than previously thought USA Today
- Mercury Is Shrinking, and Faster Than We Thought nytimes.com
- Scientists are trying to figure out if Mercury is even smaller than expected CNN
- Mercury may have shrunk much more than we thought, new study hints Live Science
- Mercury is shrinking faster than we thought. What's going on inside of it? space.com
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