Planet Mercury Now Believed to Have Molten Core

Using the same trick that cooks employ to determine if an egg is raw or hard-boiled, researchers have solved one of the planet Mercury's greatest mysteries. It's long been debated, but now there's evidence that says there is molten fluid in Mercury's core.

Several years ago, scientists were mystified to discover that Mercury has a small, active magnetic field. The Mariner 10 spacecraft made that discovery, and scientists were extremely puzzled. Due to Mercury's small size, it was a commonly accepted belief that Mercury's center had long been solid. A molten core, such as with our Earth, is the most logical and common explanation for a magnetic field. Mars and our Moon, for instance, contain evidence of only ancient, inactive magnetic fields.

This recent finding supports the theory that Mercury does indeed have a magnetic field, and the cause of it is the most common, logical explanation: Mercury has a molten, liquid center.

If you want to determine if an egg is still raw or if it's been cooked already, all you have to do is a quick, simple experiment. Set the egg on a smooth surface, such as a counter or tabletop, and give it a good spin. If the egg is still raw, it will wobble all over the place when spun. Conversely, if it's been cooked, the spin will be smooth as can be.

How did scientists 'spin' an entire planet, regardless of how tiny? The small planet's was observed closely over a period of five years by three widely distributed radio telescopes. The researchers used National Science Foundation's (NSF) Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, NSF's Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia., and the NASA/JPL 70-meter antenna in Goldstone, California.