How Mercury's polar ice deposits may have formed in a single day 100 million years ago
By
Leah Crane
Baker's choice. Dense with flavour, light on filler.
Summary
Around 100 million years ago, Mercury's surface underwent a dramatic transformation in a single Mercurian day (about 59 Earth days). Before then, the planet closest to the sun was dry and ice-free despite daytime temperatures reaching 430°C. NASA's Messenger spacecraft (2011-2015) discovered that permanently shadowed craters at Mercury's poles contain ice deposits several meters deep. This article explores how these ice deposits may have formed rapidly over just one Mercurian day, explaining the unexpected presence of water ice on the solar system's innermost planet.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledThe poles of Mercury are home to craters whose bottoms never see sunlight, known as permanently shadowed regions.
Thanks to NASA's Messenger spacecraft, which orbited Mercury between 2011 and 2015, we know that those craters contain deposits of ice several metres deep.
Before then, its surface was relatively dry and ice-free – not surprising, as daytime temperatures there can reach upwards of 430°C (806°F)
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