NASA scientists have concluded thatat the poles of the planet closest to the Sun, Mercury, the conditions for thepresence of ice, specifically indoors, always in the shadow of deep craters.
Data from MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging), the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury, are offering scientists important clues about the origin of the planet and its geological history that will help better understand its dynamics. internal and external processes.
Since March 18, the spacecraft has provided tens of thousands of images showing the detailed features of the planet. He has also collected numerous measurements of Mercury’s surface chemical composition and topography and has collected global data on its magnetic field. The data confirm thatenergetic particle bursts in Mercury’s magnetospherethey are a product of the continuous interaction of Mercury’s magnetic field with the solar wind.
Previous flyby images of Mercury had detectedshiny patchy depositsin some craters. Now, new detailed images have revealed these deposits in groups of irregular craters that range in size from several hundred meters to a few kilometers wide. These pits are often surrounded by fuzzy halos of more reflective material. “The appearance of these reliefs is unlike anything we’ve seen before on Mercury or the Moon,” said Brett Denevi, a scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, and a member of the imaging team. by MESSENGER. “We are still discussing their origin, but they appear to be relatively young and may suggest that there is greater volatility than expected in the crust of Mercury,” he adds.
Furthermore, one of the two instruments on the spacecraft designed to measure the amount of chemical elements has made several important discoveries since the orbital mission began. Observations have revealedlarge amounts of sulfur on the surface of Mercury. This discovery suggests that the original building blocks that formed Mercury may have been less oxidized than those that formed the terrestrial planets. The result also suggests that sulfur-containing gases may have contributed to the past of explosive volcanic activity on Mercury.
Two decades ago, radar images taken from Earth showed deposits thought to consist of water ice and perhaps other types of ice near Mercury’s poles. These deposits are preserved in the cold ground, permanently in the shadow of high-latitude impact craters. MESSENGER is testing this idea by measuring the depth of the craters near Mercury’s north pole. Polar deposit craters appear to be deep enough to be consistent with the idea that the deposits are in permanent shadow areas.
“We are putting together a global view of the nature and workings of Mercury for the first time,” said MESSENGER principal investigator Sean Solomon of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. “Our main mission has another three years ahead of us and we can expect more surprises from the innermost planet of our solar system.”
