Mercury, the planet orbiting nearest to the sun, is getting smaller, and the process may be happening faster than researchers had estimated. Multiple outlets reported the finding on Saturday, September 12, 2026, including Gulf Coast News and Weather, The New York Times, CNN, CTV News and Yahoo News Canada.
According to Gulf Coast News and Weather, the shrinkage is significant enough to warrant a closer look at what it means. The New York Times reported that Mercury is contracting more rapidly than previously thought, while CNN framed the development as an open question, noting that scientists are working to determine whether the planet is even smaller than expected. CTV News likewise reported that the planet may be shrinking faster than researchers anticipated, and Yahoo News Canada described hidden clues indicating Mercury shrank more than earlier studies suggested.
The coverage points to a body of evidence, rather than a single measurement, behind the revised picture. Each outlet characterized the finding as a change from prior expectations, though the reporting available did not detail the specific measurements or the mechanisms driving the contraction.
What to watch next: whether researchers publish the underlying data and confirm how much of Mercury's shrinkage has already occurred.