Mercury Is Shrinking Faster Than Scientists Thought

2026-09-10 13:00 UTC – 2026-09-11 10:14 UTC

Neutral summary

A new study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters finds that Mercury may have contracted 10% to 30% more than previously thought. Researchers from Hokkaido University determined that the planet's radius has decreased by nearly 12 kilometers since its formation about 4.6 billion years ago, a loss of almost 19 kilometers in total diameter. Wrinkles on the surface of Mercury, compared to a grape shriveling into a raisin, indicate the gradual cooling of the planet's interior. The findings shed light on what is happening beneath the surface of the closest planet to the sun.

How it was framed

Outlets: 14. Countries: 8. Facts in the shared core: 5.

Publication timeline

2026-09-10 13:00 · Scientific American (outlet profile)
The planet Mercury is shrinking far faster than we thought. The planet’s “wrinkles” give scientists a clue into how the world is contracting in size
2026-09-10 13:00 · Phys.org (outlet profile)
Mercury is shrinking more than we thought. Mercury's surface is riddled with wrinkles, evidence of a once-larger planet that has shrunk over time. A new study finds that Mercury may have contracted 10% to 30% more than…
2026-09-10 13:00 · The Independent (outlet profile)
Little Mercury may be shrinking faster than scientists expected. A new study shows that little, wrinkly Mercury may be shrinking faster than expected
2026-09-10 13:10 · Spektrum (outlet profile)
Planetenforschung: Merkur schrumpft schneller als gedacht. Der Planet Merkur war einst größer als heute. Eine neue Studie zeigt nun, dass Merkur möglicherweise um 10 bis 30 Prozent stärker geschrumpft ist als bislang an…
2026-09-10 15:00 · Space.com (outlet profile)
Mercury is shrinking faster than we thought. What's going on inside of it?. Wrinkles on the surface of Mercury have revealed that the closest planet to the sun is shrinking faster than scientists thought.
2026-09-10 16:12 · Asharq Al-Awsat (outlet profile)
Little Mercury May be Shrinking Faster Than Scientists Expected
2026-09-10 18:53 · Time (outlet profile)
The Planet Mercury Has Been Shrinking—More Than Scientists Expected. The solar system's smallest planet has gotten smaller still.
2026-09-10 20:35 · N1 Srbija (outlet profile)
Merkur se smanjio više nego što se mislilo: „Bore“ na površini otkrivaju šta se događa sa planetom najbližom Suncu. Karakteristične „bore“ koje prekrivaju Merkur, planetu najbližu Suncu, ukazuju na to da je nekada bio v…
2026-09-11 00:35 · УНИАН (outlet profile)
Меркурий сжимается значительно быстрее, чем считали ученые, - исследование. Обновленные данные должны помочь исследователям лучше понять, что происходит под поверхностью Меркурия.
2026-09-11 02:47 · The Japan Times (outlet profile)
Mercury’s radius has shrunk by over 10 kilometers, Japanese team finds. A spacecraft from the Japan-Europe joint exploration mission BepiColombo is set to arrive on Mercury in November.
2026-09-11 03:09 · 3DNews (outlet profile)
Меркурий сжимается быстрее, чем ранее думали учёные. Складки на поверхности Меркурия показали, что ближайшая к Солнцу планета сжимается быстрее, чем ранее предполагали учёные. Новые результаты исследования, опубликованн…
2026-09-11 06:45 · УНИАН (outlet profile)
Превращается в "изюминку": ученые ошарашили открытием о Меркурии. Вероятно, ученые приближаются к пониманию подлинной истории этой планеты.
2026-09-11 07:45 · Inquirer.net (outlet profile)
Little Mercury may be shrinking faster than scientists expected. A new study shows that little, wrinkly Mercury may be shrinking faster than expected, the cosmos’ version of a grape shriveling into a raisin under the su…
2026-09-11 08:38 · Die Welt (outlet profile)
„Falten und Runzeln“ – Wieso der Merkur so ungleichmäßig schrumpft. Astronomen beobachten die Veränderung des Merkurs bereits seit Jahrzehnten. Doch offenbar vollzieht sich diese schneller als bislang gedacht. Das liefe…
2026-09-11 10:14 · Известия (outlet profile)
Японские ученые сообщили о сжатии Меркурия более чем на 10 км. Группа исследователей из Университета Хоккайдо установила, что с момента своего формирования около 4,6 млрд лет назад радиус Меркурия уменьшился на примерно…

Factual core

Mercury is shrinking far faster than scientists previously thought.
The uneven shrinkage of Mercury is evidenced by surface features like folds and wrinkles.
Mercury has lost nearly 12 miles (19 kilometers) of total diameter since the planet formed.
A new study finds that Mercury may have contracted 10% to 30% more than previously thought.
The research was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

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