Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun, and it’s a place that has always made scientists and space fans curious. Thanks to new technology and space missions, we’ve learned a lot more about what Mercury is like on the inside. Let’s dive into what makes Mercury so interesting!
From 2011 to 2015, a spacecraft named MESSENGER flew around Mercury. It didn’t land on the planet, but it collected a lot of important information while orbiting it. This mission was a big deal because it helped scientists learn about Mercury without having to touch down on its surface. MESSENGER used special tools to figure out where Mercury’s North and South Poles are and to find out more about its gravity.
With the data from MESSENGER, scientists used powerful computers to study tiny changes in how Mercury spins. This helped them learn about what Mercury is made of inside and how big its core is.
The research showed that Mercury has a solid iron core at its center. This core is like a giant metal ball and makes up about half of the whole core. It’s about 1,260 miles wide! Because so much of Mercury is made of metal, scientists say it’s like a cannonball in space, with its core taking up nearly 85% of the planet’s volume.
Thanks to the MESSENGER mission, we now know that Mercury has a solid iron core. This discovery helps us understand more about Mercury and adds to what we know about planets in general. As scientists keep studying, we can look forward to learning even more cool facts about this mysterious planet!
