New Delhi: A remarkable secret may be buried beneath the surface of Mercury, the tiny planet closest to the Sun. Using data from NASAs MESSENGER spacecraft Scientists have uncovered evidence that a 10-mile-thick diamond mantle may lie beneath the crust of Mercury. Mercurys unique characteristics have long perplexed scientists, distinguishing it from other planets in our solar system. These include its extremely dark surface, dense core and the premature end of Mercurys volcanic era.Uncovering Mercurys hidden secretsAdding to the enigma of Mercury are mysterious patches of graphite, a form of carbon, scattered across its surface. These unusual features have prompted scientists to propose a fascinating theory, that Mercurys ancient past was marked by a vast carbon-rich magma ocean. This ocean would have risen to the surface, leaving behind the characteristic graphite patches and Mercurys distinctive dark coloration.Scientists believe that the same ancient process that created the graphite patches on Mercurys surface also gave rise to a carbon-rich mantle beneath the planets crust. Contrary to previous speculation, this mantle is thought to be composed not of graphene, but of an even more valuable and elusive form of carbon: diamond. We calculate that, given the new estimate of the pressure at the mantle-core boundary, and knowing that Mercury is a carbon-rich planet, the carbon-bearing mineral that would form at the interface between mantle and core is diamond and not graphite, team member Olivier Namur, an associate professor at KU Leuven, told Space.com. Our study uses geophysical data collected by the NASA MESSENGER spacecraft. About MESSENGER spacecraftThe MESSENGER spacecraft (Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging) launched in August 2004. It focuses on a groundbreaking journey, becoming the first to orbit Mercury. During its 11-year mission, which concluded in 2015, MESSENGER comprehensively mapped the planets surface, uncovering significant deposits of water ice in polar shadows and collecting vital information about Mercurys geological composition and magnetic field.
