NASA probe reveals ice, organic material inside permanent night of Mercury’s north pole

Despite searing daytime temperatures, Mercury, the planet closest to the sun, has ice and frozen organic materials inside permanently shadowed craters in its north pole, NASA scientists said on Thursday.

Earth-based telescopes have been compiling evidence for ice on Mercury for 20 years, but the finding of organics was a surprise, say researchers with NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft, the first probe to orbit Mercury.

Both ice and organic materials, which are similar to tar or coal, were believed to have been delivered millions of years ago by comets and asteroids crashing into the planet.

The discoveries of ice and organics, painstakingly pieced together for more than a year, are based on computer models, laboratory experiments and deduction, not direct analysis.
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I can't believe this oaths first thread I've seen about this. I think you should repost to breaking news. I saw this earlier but have been too lazy to do a thread.

reply to post by winterkill


So, they can announce this but still remain skeptical about water/organic material on Mars?

reply to post by Juggernog


Well if anything I think it makes them more credible.

This also lends credence to abiotic oil, gas coal, etc., rather than "fossil" fuel.

I tried to post this on breaking news and it kept telling me I hadn't written enough about the article.
So I quit and stuck it here LOL

Originally posted by winterkill
I tried to post this on breaking news and it kept telling me I hadn't written enough about the article.
So I quit and stuck it here LOL

Pssst... Use lots of spaces in your initial post in breaking news, spaces count as characters

thank you for the tip LOL
That will save some time.