chronicler Sima Qian claimed that Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s underground palace was lined with rivers and lakes of liquid mercury, forming a massive map of the empire. For centuries the story hovered between credible record and legend. A new investigation...

Thin bright streaks on Mercury’s steep slopes may be signs of ongoing material loss beneath the surface. A global study suggests the planet is still quietly evolving today. Mercury sits closest to the Sun, small and battered, with a surface shaped by...

watch all month. August provides a rich program for amateur astronomers, with Venus dominating the evening sky and a tight Mercury‑Jupiter pairing lighting up the pre‑dawn horizon in mid‑month. Saturn also offers excellent viewing conditions, while Mars...

mission reaches a critical milestone as the spacecraft prepares for its next series of maneuvers in orbit around Mercury. The BepiColombo mission, a joint venture led by the European Space Agency (ESA), is entering a pivotal stage as it inches closer to...

Mercury’s iron core, mysterious dark crust, and ancient magnetic field hold secrets that scientists may only unlock by landing on its surface. Mercury remains a planetary enigma, defined by a disproportionately massive iron core, a shrinking exterior,...

New infrared analysis reveals Mercury’s surface has far less silicon dioxide than previously thought, pointing to a much more intense volcanic history. New analytical data suggests that the surface of Mercury is significantly less rich in silicon...

years of silence, the BepiColombo mission’s BELA laser has successfully fired, paving the way for a detailed 3D map of Mercury’s mysterious surface. After a decade of dormancy, a critical piece of technology designed to map Mercury in three dimensions...

Mercury is shrinking faster than previously thought, as new research reveals that impact debris masked signs of the planet’s ongoing geological contraction. New evidence suggests Mercury has undergone significantly more structural contraction than...

New research analyzing decades-old NASA data has uncovered a hidden clue about Mercury’s past that could reshape our understanding of how the planet formed. New research suggests Mercury has undergone significantly more contraction than previously...

New research reveals that Mercury’s ancient volcanoes were fueled by a significantly deeper and hotter interior than scientists previously thought possible. New evidence regarding the geological makeup of Mercury indicates that the planet’s surface is...

puts on a rare display that will see four planets gathered in the predawn sky. Throughout the latter half of the month, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter will trace a distinct diagonal line across the southeastern horizon, offering a clear view for...

Hidden faults reveal Mercury has shrunk by 23 kilometers, forcing scientists to rethink the planet’s core composition and long-term thermal history. For billions of years, Mercury has been cooling and shrinking, leaving behind a global network of...

July, the night and early‑morning sky will showcase a rotating cast of planets—including Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and Mercury—offering numerous opportunities for both seasoned astronomers and casual observers. EarthSky’s latest viewing guide...

system. Don’t miss the view. September promises a spectacular display for amateur astronomers, with five major planets—Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn—poised to grace the night sky. This celestial alignment offers a rare, multi-week...

Sealed for 2,200 years, Qin Shi Huang’s tomb allegedly hides deadly traps and mercury rivers. What do soil tests and ancient texts reveal about the site? Beneath a sprawling earthen mound in China’s Shaanxi Province, the tomb of Qin Shi Huang has...

cielo serale. Tonight, observers around the world will have a short-lived chance to see an uncommon planetary line‑up as Mercury, Venus and Jupiter sweep across the western sky shortly after dusk. The brief window demands a prompt and steady gaze,...

the ship was no longer operational; its deteriorating structure housed materials that watchdogs identified as asbestos, mercury, lead and other hazardous substances. In February 2023 the Brazilian Navy carried out a “planned and controlled sinking” of...

close across all tested devices. The eight-French cannula recorded an average outlet pressure of 136.3 millimeters of mercury, while the fourteen-gauge catheters with side holes yielded values between 136.7 and 137.0 millimeters of mercury. This small...

swell into a red giant and later an asymptotic giant, and finally shed its outer layers to become a white dwarf. While Mercury and Venus are virtually certain to be consumed, the destiny of Earth has remained contested. A June 2026 paper in Astronomy &...

the commercial spaceflight experience. This approach stands in contrast to the early days of space exploration. During the Mercury program, engineers reportedly resisted the inclusion of windows entirely, viewing them as unnecessary liabilities. It was...