Bright Streaks on Mercury Suggest That It's Not a Dead Planet, but Geologically Active

Bright Streaks on Mercury Suggest That It's Not a Dead Planet, but Geologically Active

Learn about the bright streaks that may represent recent geological activity on Mercury, which has been considered a dead planet in the past.

Mercury May Not Be "Dead" After All

Researchers using machine learning have discovered hundreds of mysterious bright streaks on Mercury's surface that appear to be caused by gases escaping from the planet's interior. The finding suggests the Solar System's smallest planet isn't the static, geologically dead world we thought it was, Mercury might still be active today, continuously releasing material into space even billions of years after its formation.