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Massive collision created Mercury, new theory suggests
- A new study suggests that planet Mercury was formed from a massive grazing collision between two similarly-sized bodies billions of years ago in the early solar system.
- Scientists have been trying to understand how Mercury, the smallest and innermost planet in our solar system, originated for a long time.
- Research from Brazil, Germany, and France proposes that a giant collision produced Mercury, shedding light on its formation.
- Mercury's unique geology and history have puzzled researchers, with evidence now suggesting a significant collision event as its origin.
- Universe Today's Mark Thompson wrote about the findings, highlighting the importance of this new theory.
- Mercury's internal structure, including a thin silicate mantle and a large iron core, poses a mystery that this new theory attempts to solve.
- The early solar system experienced frequent rocky collisions, with simulations revealing the plausibility of Mercury's formation through a grazing 'hit-and-run' collision.
- Study led by Patrick Franco in Brazil simulated collisions to determine how a planet similar to Mercury could form from a massive impact event.
- The study explored various collision scenarios matching Mercury's mass and iron content, providing strong evidence for the collision theory of Mercury's formation.
- The research sheds new light on the formation of Mercury and the role of collisions in shaping the planets in our solar system.
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