What's Mercury All About, Anyway?

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K. M. Kirby, esq. - 17 Jan 2008 02:40 GMT

Only two more weeks--plus or minus--until the first set of Messenger
pics become available for most; possibly dispelling some presumptions
about this sunward planet.

Greater clarity regarding early planetary formation, maybe, will be
among the eventual results of this mission.

Things to look for:

Is Mercury the core of a former gas giant?

How much plasticity did that planet lose after removal of the solar
dust disc.

Is there any residual magnetism to indicate positioning of
paleopoles?

How much power can be generated by solar arrays on Mercury's surface?

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robert casey - 17 Jan 2008 03:22 GMT

> Things to look for:
>
> Is Mercury the core of a former gas giant?

Probably not, gas giant exo-planets exist even closer in to their stars,
some more powerful than the Sun.

> Is there any residual magnetism to indicate positioning of
> paleopoles?

Mercury does have a magnetic field, and we must have a pretty good idea
where the poles are, though you'd have to dig thru published papers to
find out more. And Messenger will get more data on that anyway.

> How much power can be generated by solar arrays on Mercury's surface?

Should be about 9 times what you'd get on Earth. If the solar cells
can take that much more intensity and heat. Inverse square law, Mercury
is about 1/3 the distance from the Sun as the Earth is.

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Space Forum / Space Science / January 2008

What's Mercury All About, Anyway?