In 1991, scientists bounced radio waves off Mercury, and found an unusual bright return from the north pole. The apparent brightening at the north pole could be explained by ice on, or just under the surface.
But, is it possible for Mercury to have ice..? Yes. Because Mercury's rotation is almost perpendicular to its orbital plain, the north pole always sees the Sun just above the horizon.
The insides of craters would never be exposed to the sun, and would remain very cold. This freezing temperature could trap water outgassed from the planet, or ice brought to the planet from impacts with comets.
These ice might be covered with a layer of dust, and would show bright radar returns.
No comments:
Post a Comment