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First Results From Messenger's Mercury Flyby
Several readers noted the special section in Science, published today, with results from Messenger's flyby of Mercury last January. One conclusion is that volcanism has shaped the planet, contrary to earlier theories that Mercury had been "dead on arrival." The LA Time's coverage highlights the finding that Mercury has shrunk by a mile in diameter over its lifetime, due to shrinkage at its core.
In Mercury's defense, it was in the pool.
First post from first planet
Mercury has been trying to lose a little around the belt line for eons.
Invenio via vel creo
Spelling... you fail at it.
Contrary to earlier theories that Mercury had been "dead on arrival", so it really did win the Dead or Alive contest as I have suspected all along.
All the extra Mercury is in our new lightbulbs.
A certain amount of shrinkage is normal with age.
I don't know the meaning of the word 'don't' - J
George: Do women know about shrinkage?
Elaine: What do you mean, like laundry?
Jesus saves souls and redeems them for valuable cash prizes
This is why we do it. We haven't paid much attention to Mercury, so almost everything there is new, just waiting to be discovered. Who knows what else we will find?
...laura
It may have shrinkage, but Mercury has a 2.5 million km long tail. http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/03/03/2178111.htm Wait, atavism is a good thing, right?
Always proofread carefully to see if you any words out.
Reminds me of the "Earth is Growing" theory, offered as an alternative to Plate Tectonics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yqBaD5VwrQ&feature=related
-1 Uncomfortable Truth
All this time after the flyby, and still no real-colour picture of the planet, as they're literally sitting on it. They have entire mosaics of the planet taken in all the probes 11 filters, including red, green and blue filters, and yet they can't be arsed to put those together to finally let use see Mercury in its truest colours!
Also, where are the updated maps of Mercury? You know, ones that would cover more than the 45% of the surface covered by Mariner 10? God I just wish they would release all their raw images just like they did with Cassini-Huygens so that we could do all the cool stuff they can't be bothered to do. And I feel entitled to this as it's all financed with tax payer money, right? (Well, let's ignore the fact that I'm not even American)
You just got troll'd!
" has shrunk...in diameter over its lifetime, due to shrinkage at its core."
That's what SHE said.
It's either on the beat or off the beat, it's that easy.
I moderate therefore I rule!
--
"...the finding that Mercury has shrunk by a mile in diameter over its lifetime..." ...because we've been sending probes to Mercury every twenty years for the last five billion years.
Don't feel bad Mercury. I know a lot of people who suffer from shrinkage..
This discussion turned into a male organ mockery so fast, I can only conclude Mercury and Earth definitely need more female geeks.
Volcanic eruptions & iron deficiency sound like a planetary version of Hillary Clinton.
That doesn't make sense though, ShieldW0lf. We see subduction and mountain formation occurring all over, and if that theory were true, there would be no formation of mountains. They would, instead, have "always been there."
Also, the amount of water was apparently close to none in the early history of Earth, because rather than draw rising oceans due to a smaller surface area, he simply makes the blue areas disappear.
It just doesn't hold up, sorry.
I didn't make the thing.
-1 Uncomfortable Truth
Maybe it was in the pool?
Didn't say you did, I used the pronoun "he" to make that distinction. I could have used "you" instead if I sought to say you made that theory.
They'll be demoting Mercury out of its planet status. Noooooes!
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It's shrinking! It's shrinking!