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Author Topic: Ice found on Mercury  (Read 2035 times)

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Offline Nightangel8212

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Ice found on Mercury
« on: November 30, 2012, 01:44:46 pm »
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/mercurys-north-pole-ice-nasa-confirms-194312699.html

This is one hell of a discovery, considering the planet's surface temperature is hot enough to melt lead... But apparently they discovered ice hiding in the shadows of craters on the north pole of Mercury. They also suspect the south pole might have ice, but were unable to get close enough to examine it.
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Offline Material Defender

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Re: Ice found on Mercury
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2012, 01:55:17 pm »
Ice isn't cold?
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Offline SpaceProg

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Re: Ice found on Mercury
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2012, 04:31:23 pm »
Quote from: Material Defender on November 30, 2012, 01:55:17 pm
Ice isn't cold?
Compared to some things, it's relatively hot.   
But, you know... EVERYTHING is relative. :P
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Art Vandelay

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Re: Ice found on Mercury
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2012, 05:59:56 am »
The most interesting thing is that Mercury has no atmosphere, so the melting point of water would be even lower than it is on Earth due to the lack of any pressure.
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Offline Star Cluster

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Re: Ice found on Mercury
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2012, 03:32:03 pm »
Actually, Mercury does have an atmosphere, albeit, a very tenuous atmosphere made up of hydrogen, helium, oxygen, sodium,water vapor, and other trace elements.  While it is so thin that is is almost non-existent , due to its proximity to the sun, it has a "comet tail" effect, which is made up primarily of sodium.

Finding ice there is not really all that surprising since the far side of the planet is in the dark for 2 mercurial years (176 earth days).   Since there is no tilt to Mercury's axis, craters at the poles never get direct sunlight and are at best in constant shadow. And without a thick atmosphere to warm up, what isn't in direct sunlight will get real cold real fast.
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Offline Star Cluster

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Re: Ice found on Mercury
« Reply #5 on: December 06, 2012, 08:56:01 am »
Not only has ice been found on Mercury, but organic material has been found covering some of the ice. 
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The heavens convince me there is no god.

Religion is an insult to human dignity. Without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.--Steven Weinberg

Religion can never reform mankind because religion is slavery--Robert G. Ingersoll

I don't know why people compare George Carlin to God. He's great and all, but he's no George Carlin.-Anon.
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