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Abstract

MESSENGER has obtained the first direct compositional measurements of Mercury, measurements that are essential as a basis for constraining the planet’s bulk composition and origin. The relatively unconstrained composition of Mercury allowed for a wide range of formation models for not only the planet but also the Solar System. Now that range is considerably reduced in a somewhat surprising direction, implying that enstatite chondrite is the closest ‘match’ among proposed models.

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Correspondence to Pamela Elizabeth Clark .

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Clark, P. (2015). Mercury’s Interior. In: Mercury's Interior, Surface, and Surrounding Environment. SpringerBriefs in Astronomy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2244-4_2

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