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, which were made using past observations from NASA's retired MESSENGER probe, were published in The Planetary Science Journal in November.
"Our finding complements other recent research showing that Pluto has nitrogen glaciers, implying that the glaciation phenomenon extends from the hottest to the coldest confines within our Solar System," lead study author Alexis Rodriguez, a planetary scientist at the Arizona-based nonprofit Planetary Science Institute (PSI), said in a statement.
