It has long been known that Mercury and the Earth have metallic cores. Some scientists compare Mercury to a cannonball because its metal core fills nearly 85 percent of the volume of the planet. This large core — huge compared to the other rocky planets in our solar system — has long been one of the most intriguing mysteries about Mercury. Scientists had also wondered whether Mercury might have a solid inner core.
Just how similar, and how different, the cores of the planets are may give us clues about how the solar system formed and how rocky planets change over time. To figure out what the core of Mercury is made of, Genova and his colleagues had to get, figuratively, closer. Radio observations from MESSENGER were used to determine the gravitational anomalies areas of local increases or decreases in mass and the location of its rotational pole, which allowed scientists to understand the orientation of the planet.
Every planet's mantle is made of the same stuff: melted silicates mixed with some metallic oxides. The Crust Every inner planet has a crust. The crust ranges from about. It is always made of rock silicates and metals in these inner planets. Because the liquid is metallic, the convection currents, aligned by the spin of the planet, are capable of producing strong electric currents—and the associated magnetic fields—via the dynamo effect.
Labels Earth electricity and magnetism magnetosphere space and The Universe. Labels: Earth electricity and magnetism magnetosphere space and The Universe. Post a Comment. September 10, The answer is "a bad week for the casino"—but you'd never guess why. Read more. June 13, Our science teacher claims that the pain comes from a small electrical shock, but we believe that this is due to the absorption of light. Please help us resolve this dispute!
June 24, Even though it's been a warm couple of months already, it's officially summer.
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