Mercury May Once Have Been As Large As Earth, Says Scientist
NDTV
Mercury is known for its extremes, and a geologist from Italy recently found clues in Cyprus that point towards a different origin story for the Solar System's smallest planet.
As the closest planet to the Sun, Mercury is a celestial marvel with a bounty of unique attributes waiting to be explored. The planet experiences extreme temperature fluctuations due to its proximity to the Sun. Daytime temperatures can soar up to a blistering 800 degree Fahrenheit (427 degrees Celsius), while night-time temperatures plummet to a frigid -290 degrees Fahrenheit (-180 degrees Celsius). Orbiting the Sun at a breakneck pace, Mercury completes a full orbit in just 88 Earth days, making it the shortest year of any planet in our solar system. But studying the planet is very difficult due to its position and the impact of the Sun's gravity.
This is why scientists have resorted to finding clues on Earth that could help them understand the composition of Mercury. One such scientists is Nicola Mari, a planetary geologist at the University of Pavia in Italy. He studies the ways that our neighbours in the solar system formed and evolved.
And during a recent visit to Cyprus, Mr Mari made an astonishing discovery - that Mercury was once as big as the Earth.
