Changes

== Composition ==

== Composition ==

Mercury's core is made of molten metal, much like the Earth's, but with a thick layer of ferric oxide on the outside of the planet, resulting in its vivid and beautiful color. This layer is believed to have increased steadily over the past 6,000 years, resulting in the planet we now know today, but would originally have been very thin and easily cracked.  It is only because of Mercury's extreme proximity to the sun, scientists believe, that it was not broken up by asteroids long ago.

Mercury's core is made of molten metal, much like the Earth's. The molten [[Iron]] core generates the planet's magnetic field.

<ref>Fulbright, Jeannie.  ''Exploring Creation with Astronomy.''  Apologia Educational Ministries, 2004.</ref>

== Orbital oddities ==

== Orbital oddities ==