A new document titled “High Priority Science at Mercury” identifies a number of high-priority science questions about Mercury, including:

•  How did Mercury form?
•  How did Mercury differentiate and acquire its interior structure?
•  What is the history of Mercury’s magnetic field and its generation?
•  How do Mercury’s surface and interior reflect the evolution of the planet?
•  What is the origin, history, and inventory of Mercury’s volatiles?

The goal of the document is to provide input to inform discussions and decisions regarding the statement of task for the upcoming Planetary Science Decadal Survey. Other communities within the larger planetary science community were engaged through the Analysis Groups. At present, the community that researches the planet Mercury and its environment remains the only one not represented by an Analysis Group. Contributions to the formation of the document were provided by the ad hoc committee and more than 30 additional individual scientists who provided input on questions, feedback, and priority rankings through an open community survey.

Read the document online here: High Priority Science at Mercury