Originally posted by Korwatt
With a new spacecraft bound for Mercury, that tiny planet near the heart of the solar system, researchers are hoping to solve a slew of riddles about the small world.
Among the odder Mercurian attributes scientists hope to test is a theory that the planet is shrinking, contracting in on itself as its core slowly freezes.
"It's a pretty cool thing," said Mark Robinson, a Northwestern University researcher, of Mercury's slow contraction. "When I first heard it, I thought it was weird."
www.space.com...
Interesting.. Did not know that a planet could actually shrink. Apparently the core of the planet is collapsing, which is causing it to shrink.
Do planets implode like stars when they collaps upon themselves? The reason I am asking is earth would be in the blast range if Mercury exploded wouldnt it?
