All articles tagged with #planetary contraction
A new study using data from NASA’s MESSENGER mission finds Mercury is contracting about 14 miles over 4.5 billion years, at roughly 30% faster rate than previously believed, helping scientists glimpse the planet’s interior and its cooling history.
A new study suggests Mercury is shrinking up to 14 miles (23 kilometers) in diameter—about 30% faster than previously thought—likely due to cooling of its large iron core; the rough surface from impacts can hide wrinkles, and data from the BepiColombo mission, along with earlier Messenger measurements, should help confirm how much Mercury has contracted.
Research indicates that Mercury has shrunk by approximately 2.7 to 5.6 kilometers since its formation, primarily due to cooling and faulting, with a new method providing more consistent estimates of this contraction. This insight enhances understanding of Mercury's thermal evolution and could be applied to study other planetary bodies with faults.