Currency
A 16 km thick diamond layer found on Mercury: what does the smallest planet of the solar system hide
This is how Mercury may look like if its outer layers are peeled away to reveal a layer of diamonds. Source: Carnegie Institution of Washington
A NASA spacecraft has discovered that the planet Mercury has a 16-kilometer-thick layer of diamonds. The mission of the American space agency MESSENGER has shown that the smallest planet in the Solar System and the closest to the Sun hides a big secret.
Using data from the NASA spacecraft, scientists have determined that a diamond mantle may lie under Mercury's crust. However, more research is needed, Space.com reports.
Mercury has repeatedly surprised scientists. This planet has many properties that are not typical of other planets in our solar system. In particular, this neighbor of the Sun has a very dark surface, an extremely dense core, and a premature end to the volcanic era.
Among the mysteries of Mercury are spots of graphite on its surface, which have led scientists to believe that in its early history, this tiny planet had a carbon-rich magma ocean. This ocean could have floated to the surface, creating the graphite spots and the dark shade of Mercury's surface.
The same process would also lead to the formation of a carbon-rich mantle beneath the Earth's surface. The team that made these findings believes that this mantle is not graphite, as previously suspected, but rather diamonds.
"We calculated that, given the new estimate of the pressure at the mantle-core interface and knowing that Mercury is a carbon-rich planet, the carbon mineral that could form at the mantle-core interface is diamond, not graphite," said Olivier Namur, a member of the research team.
MESSENGER (Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging) was launched in August 2004 and became the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury. The mission, which ended in 2015, mapped the entire tiny world, revealing a large amount of water ice in the shadow at the poles and collecting important data on the geology and magnetic field of Mercury.
Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Other News
Cheese soup with minced meat and green peas: an easy first course for every day
Light and nutritious, it also looks very appetizing
One of world's most dangerous cities is attracting tourists en masse again: where it is located
A city in Brazil lures tourists not only with danger, but also with natural and cultural wealth
Bezuhla attacked representatives of the LGBT community and overweight people online: the response was not long in coming
The MP issued pseudo-scientific nonsense but claimed to be against discrimination
"There is only one strategy": Trump says he plans to meet with Putin "as soon as possible" and speaks out on Ukraine war
The American president is sure that the Russian dictator is also waiting for this meeting
