{
  "id": 12384035,
  "title": "Mercury May Have Shrunk More Than Scientists Thought",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/mercury-may-have-shrunk-more-than-scientists-thought",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-06T13:13:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Colombia One",
    "slug": "colombia-one",
    "url": "https://colombiaone.com/2026/10/06/mercury-shrunk-more-than-scientists-estimated/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "A recent study published in Geophysical Research Letters has suggested that Mercury may have contracted more than previously estimated, potentially by up to 23 kilometers (14.5 miles) since the planet's formation. The research, led by Gaku Nishiyama of the German Aerospace Center, found that impact debris from billions of years of asteroid impacts could have obscured some of the geological evidence of Mercury's shrinking, such as lobate scarps, high-relief ridges, and wrinkle ridges. This new estimate could help scientists better understand the planet's interior, thermal history, and core composition.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}