";s:4:"text";s:6608:"Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, is one of the last places we think about when considering the potential for life in the solar system. The new research, led by Alexis Rodriguez from the Planetary Science Institute, exposes the many cracks in this prevailing theory, while positing an entirely new hypothesis, one which suggests these odd geological features were formed by massive amounts of volatile materials that escaped Mercury’s subsurface long ago.Volatiles are compounds, such as water, nitrogen, and methane, that easily switch between states of matter, such as liquids flipping over to gases or solids transforming directly into gases or vapours, a chemical process known as sublimation.
It is named after the Greek god Hermes, translated into Latin Mercurius Mercury, god of commerce, messenger of the gods, mediator between gods and mortals. That’s a big and unexpected revelation, and a thrilling one at that.U.S. At the same time, it’s offering new exploration targets for astrobiologists. Mercury — a planet with a surface hot enough to melt lead — might once have contained ingredients needed for life. Moreover, the researchers spotted many other chaotic landscapes across the planet, including in Mercury’s equatorial and polar regions, which suggests this was not a regional geological phenomenon.Accordingly, Rodriguez and his colleagues say the Caloris impact theory cannot sufficiently explain the chaotic terrain—so they’ve providing a new one. New research suggests the planet’s interior once contained the basic ingredients for life, a finding that could change the way we view this toasty, tortured planet. Mercury is the smallest and innermost planet in the Solar System. Sunlight varies between five and ten times the intensity on Earth, leading to surface temperatures of up to 700K. attorney general says mail-in voting is 'playing with fire,’ even as experts say fraud is rareNew Chinese-built trains arrive in Sydney amid manufacturing spatChris Rock: Cardi B is the funniest person in the worldScottish holidaymakers blame behaviour of 'drunken louts from Zante'Exeter's Rob Baxter fears Champions Cup will be diminished by revised formatHouse Democrats subpoena Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s records on widespread delays in mail serviceBackpackers warn of horticulture industry 'underbelly' of dodgy labour hire providers and illegal wagesMorning mail: Russia accused of using novichok, net zero within reach, scientists defy gravityFemail Face-off: Should reality stars plug Test and Trace for cash?AFL grand final moving interstate to be huge blow to Victorian economyBiden, Trump ramp up campaigns amid national crisesAustralia shares set to open higher, New Zealand risesTennis-Djokovic overcomes slow start to extend win streakIntel Dems Demand Trump’s Top Spy Reveal Foreign Actors Exploiting U.S. RacismChemicals in e-cigarettes 'damage cells in lungs and blood vessels'Treasurer says it could take five years to get economy 'back to where it was'Nelly and Carole Baskin lead Dancing with the Stars line-upBale open to Premier League return if Real sanction moveArnhem Space Centre, luxury hotel in doubt as major NT projects face significant delaysNine new sites in contact tracing focus as south-east cluster growsMorrison’s own border closure is inflicting massive economic damage. For astrobiologists, mere mention that volatiles might exist on a celestial object will garner a response resembling a dog who suddenly notices a squirrel nearby. Though that’s a pretty big might.“Think of a kid throwing up a bunch of building blocks and how they land,” said Deborah Domingue, a co-author of the study from the Planetary Science Institute, headquartered in Tucson, Ariz. “Some are up, some are down, some are tilted — that’s chaotic terrain.”For nearly 50 years, scientists have thought the chaos on Mercury was caused by earthquakes that raced throughout the planet when a massive asteroid struck the planet’s far side.
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Though that’s a pretty big might. “Some of Mercury’s other volatiles may have added to the characteristics of a former [aquatic habitat].
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