Planetary scientists have discovered salty glaciers near the north pole of Mercury, raising the possibility that the closest planet to the sun may be capable of hosting life. The new findings ...

The confusion is understandable since Mercury and Earth's moon share striking similarities, including size and a landscape covered in craters. But there's more to this similarity than meets the eye.

Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun, yet it has a "polar cap" in the form of ice(s) lurking in the eternal darkness of polar craters.” And although Mercury has no apparent current tectonic ...

Glaciers of salt hidden in Mercury's craters might be able to support alien life Scientists say this opens up the search for alien life to a range of new planets Alien life might be even stranger ...

But despite the intense heat the planet faces as it rotates, areas that are permanently shaded, such as some polar craters, may hold deposits of ice. Intense changes in temperature from day to night ...

Here's Mercury. The white spot is a 50-mile wide crater called Debussy. These bright rays consist of ejected material and secondary craters that radiate from Debussy. Mercury's horizon.

Prominent circular features are impact craters that post-date the plains. Altimetry data from the MESSENGER Laser Altimeter is superimposed on image data from the Mercury Dual Imaging System.