What an awful, intense feeling it would be to see it begin spiraling out from its round shape as a giant creature. Like woah to oh no in a very short time.
Drying would imply presence of moisture or other mass that would be removed, which is not what is happening.
The article explains it: Mercury is still cooling down from its initial creation and it's shrinking as a result of this cooling. They're using some surface features that result from this shrinking to measure its rate, but other features like asteroid impacts are obscuring them and so they've realised their earlier calculations are a bit wrong.
Yes but we're not experiencing the shrinking effect due to plate tectonics acting as a relief mechanism. Also our core, the main part that's cooling down, is quite small and as a result quite insulated; Mercury is unique in that its core is massive, something like 80% of its radius, and so loses heat a lot faster.
All planets are undergoing this, at different rates, it's a process that will probably go for many more billions of years (well probably a lot less in Mercury's case); the Sun's death will happen sooner than the Earth's core totally cooling down and solidifying.
It will change... nothing. This discovery is relevant to understand what the interior of Mercury is made of. This helps in understanding how our solar system has been formed but it most likely won't have any practical consequences for us.
First, size does not affect gravity or orbits in any way. Mass does. It is not losing mass. It's also way too small and too close to the sun to have significant effects on the rest of the solar system anyway.
Mercury is contracting because it is cooling internally. So it is becoming slightly denser, with the same mass. It's just interesting because we haven't observed this on a planetary scale before.
What would happen is Mercury got small enough that it lost it's place in our solar system... Like it got to light and the sun gravity pull it on... Or it got ejected from is orbit... It could hit other planets or even earth?
unknownpoltroon | 13 hours ago
The larvae is almost fully grown.
ifv6 | 10 hours ago
What an awful, intense feeling it would be to see it begin spiraling out from its round shape as a giant creature. Like woah to oh no in a very short time.
wonkeykong | 10 hours ago
We broadcast in every language across the planet: "nobody move its vision is based on movement!"
unknownpoltroon | 10 hours ago
There would be that one asshole "YOU CANT TELL ME WHAT TO DO I GOT RIGHTS!!"
DryerCoinJay | 9 hours ago
It’s not really that big because it’s in our firmament.
-some nut job flat earther
errie_tholluxe | 8 hours ago
The great bird of the galaxy will come from it!
Explicit_Tech | 15 hours ago
It's technically increasing in density? Should be fine.
Ok-Party-3033 | 13 hours ago
It’s OK, Mercury. Size doesn’t matter, it’s what you do with it.
Fast_Garlic_5639 | 14 hours ago
Must be getting colder
Ryyath | 12 hours ago
It was in the pool!
Sandokan13 | 12 hours ago
Taumoeba eating good
sweetica | 15 hours ago
I bet the sun is dissolving elements out of the center of the planet, like drying it out by baking it at temperature of millions of degrees.
Neamow | 14 hours ago
Drying would imply presence of moisture or other mass that would be removed, which is not what is happening.
The article explains it: Mercury is still cooling down from its initial creation and it's shrinking as a result of this cooling. They're using some surface features that result from this shrinking to measure its rate, but other features like asteroid impacts are obscuring them and so they've realised their earlier calculations are a bit wrong.
StaysAwakeAllWeek | 11 hours ago
tldr the article was too long and he didnt read it
Neamow | 11 hours ago
I would really hope that at least on the science subreddits people would actually read the articles they're reacting to...
4point5billion45 | 11 hours ago
Wait so is the Earth still cooling down?
Neamow | 11 hours ago
Yes but we're not experiencing the shrinking effect due to plate tectonics acting as a relief mechanism. Also our core, the main part that's cooling down, is quite small and as a result quite insulated; Mercury is unique in that its core is massive, something like 80% of its radius, and so loses heat a lot faster.
All planets are undergoing this, at different rates, it's a process that will probably go for many more billions of years (well probably a lot less in Mercury's case); the Sun's death will happen sooner than the Earth's core totally cooling down and solidifying.
30SecondsToFail | 8 hours ago
The Vex are terraforming it from the inside out, obviously
_Regulate | 4 hours ago
Someone find Osiris
weirdgroovynerd | 15 hours ago
ELI5 please:
How will a smaller Mercury affect the rest of our solar system?
I.e., will it change the orbits of the other planets?
ThreeButtonBob | 14 hours ago
It will change... nothing. This discovery is relevant to understand what the interior of Mercury is made of. This helps in understanding how our solar system has been formed but it most likely won't have any practical consequences for us.
weirdgroovynerd | 13 hours ago
Thanks
AnnihilatedTyro | 14 hours ago
It doesn't and won't affect anything else.
First, size does not affect gravity or orbits in any way. Mass does. It is not losing mass. It's also way too small and too close to the sun to have significant effects on the rest of the solar system anyway.
Mercury is contracting because it is cooling internally. So it is becoming slightly denser, with the same mass. It's just interesting because we haven't observed this on a planetary scale before.
weirdgroovynerd | 13 hours ago
Thank you
Neamow | 14 hours ago
It's smaller but the mass is the same, so no effect.
weirdgroovynerd | 13 hours ago
Thank you
Paratwa | 11 hours ago
Mass stays the same, wouldn’t matter if it was a puny black hole floating there ( well beyond it being confusing ) as the gravity would the same.
Legal_Lettuce6233 | 14 hours ago
Not really. It's too small and too far away to affect our tides let alone the earth itself.
PuTongHua | 14 hours ago
The harmoniums are up to something
reidsays | 13 hours ago
Ah...it is said Mercury represents our mind and intelligence..
Say no more... 😆
guinader | 5 hours ago
What would happen is Mercury got small enough that it lost it's place in our solar system... Like it got to light and the sun gravity pull it on... Or it got ejected from is orbit... It could hit other planets or even earth?
Proof-Reply-7725 | 3 hours ago
How long before it isn’t a planet by definition?
SacredGeometry9 | 12 hours ago
The Vex
PossibleAlienFrom | 12 hours ago
Sounds like a Rick and Morty episode.
monetarydread | 12 hours ago
Lavos is ready to erupt and fuck up the timeline.
Charming-Lychee-9031 | 13 hours ago
It was in the pool!
Random_182f2565 | 11 hours ago
Egg?