Something Big Is Twisting Mercury's Crust

Something Big Is Twisting Mercury's Crust

As the closest planet to the Sun, Mercury is exposed to the star's enormous gravitational field. And it's really stressful.

Mercury’s Surface is Twisting Like Paper: What’s Going On Up There?

Mercury, the smallest planet in our solar system and the one closest to the Sun, has long baffled scientists with its twisted, fractured surface. Towering cliffs, deep ridges, and sprawling fracture lines crisscross its rocky crust, giving the planet a visibly deformed appearance. For decades, researchers have attributed these surface anomalies to the planet’s gradual cooling and contraction since its fiery formation. But now, a fresh theory sug…

Mercury's Crust: Something Big Is Twisting It? – Archyde

Archyde Mercury’s Unexpected Secrets: How the Sun is Shaping a Planet’s Future Imagine a planet so close to its star that it experiences tidal forces far greater than Earth, causing its… You can read the full story here: Mercury’s Crust: Something Big Is Twisting It?.

Tidal forces from the Sun could have deformed cliffs on Mercury

20.06.2025 - A new study by researchers of the University of Bern shows that the hilly surface of Mercury could be influenced not only by the cooling and contraction of the planet, but also by the tidal forces of the Sun. Future analysis will draw on new data from the BepiColombo mission, which is currently on its way to Mercury. BepiColombo is a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) an