Share to ClassroomStudy Says Mercury Lost More Size
Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system. A new study says it is getting smaller. It has lost about 30% more size than scientists thought. It may have lost up to 23 kilometers across. The planet is about 4,900 kilometers wide.
Mercury has a big, hot center of metal. This center is slowly getting cooler. So the planet gets smaller, and lines like wrinkles appear on the ground. Scientists count these lines. Space rocks hit the planet and may cover many of them. A spacecraft from NASA (the US space team) took pictures. The team used them to make a map.
Mercury is very close to the Sun, so it is hard to study. In November, a spacecraft called BepiColombo should start going around the planet. It comes from Europe and Japan. It should show how much smaller Mercury is. "We are quite excited," a scientist said.
