Flight into the furnace of Mercury could bring us closer in hunt for alien life
by Robin McKie from on (#2W0QN)
Investigation will give clues about where to look for habitable planets
A tiny world that is battered by intense radiation and incredible heat, Mercury is one of the most inhospitable places in our solar system. Zinc would melt on its surface. Yet this scorched planet is set to play a crucial role in one of science's most important quests: the search to find life on other worlds in our galaxy.
Astronomers believe that Mercury's proximity to the Sun could provide them with crucial insights about the prospects of finding worlds that can support living organisms. And they hope these insights will be revealed by BepiColombo, a European-Japanese probe that was unveiled to the public last week at the European Space Agency's research and technology centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
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