Why does Mercury have an atmosphere of helium?
September 18, 2020 | Education
| The planet Mercury has an extremely rarefied helium atmosphere. The existence of such an atmosphere is supported by the decay of radioactive isotopes in the planet’s crust and the release of helium from the surface and by capturing helium nuclei from the solar wind. Without the constant action of these factors, Mercury would have lost its gas shell literally in a day.
