The Mercury Crust Could Be Thinner Than Previously Believed



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Mercury is one of the most difficult planets to visit because of its proximity to the Sun. However, a probe has managed to orbit the planet and collect important data to know a little more about its surface.

After the mission of NASA Mercury Surface, Spatial Environment and Geochemistry (MESSENGER) completed in 2015, researchers believe that the crust Mercury the most intense planet of the solar system, was about 22 miles (35 kilometers) thick

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But the one d & # 39; They, did not agree with this idea, the researcher Michael Sori, who uses very recent mathematical formulas, lunar and planetary Laboratory of the 39, University of Arizona, United, estimates that the crust of the planet is about 26 kilometers and is denser than aluminum

This new idea supports the theory according to which the crust is formed largely by volcanic activity. Gravity is constantly trying to drag the surface of a planet towards a smooth sphere, so something must counteract this attraction to prevent the peaks and abysses of a world from melting.

Understanding how the crust of this planet was formed could allow scientists to understand the formation of the whole strangely structured planet.

The Mercury is the one with the largest nucleus relative to its total size. Indeed, it is thought that the nucleus of Mercury occupies 60% of the total volume of the planet. In comparison, the nucleus of the Earth accounts for about 15% of the total volume of this

Before the Question Why is the core of Mercury so big? Sori believes that it is possible that it was formed in a manner very similar to that of a normal planet, but that a large part of the planet is still in existence. bark and part of the mantle were torn off by giant impacts.

However, there is also the possibility that, when a planet forms so close to Sun the solar winds take away a lot of loose stones and the star ends up with a larger nucleus since the beginning.

For the moment, the next mission to Mercury is scheduled for 2025, while scientists will continue to use data from MESSENGER and mathematical formulas to study this that they can on the planet closest to Sol. [19659015] – Colombia.com

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