Super Mercurys

[KTevolved]

So we know there are super Earths, but what about super mercurys? These planets would be about Earth sized maybe bigger with large dense iron cores. So could these super mercurys support life, have thick dense atmospheres and generate sustainable plate tectonics? I've always wondered about this ever since we discovered super Earths.

 

[mfb]

I do not think knowledge about super Earth's is good enough to distinguish between "similar to Earth but larger" and "similar to mercury but larger". As far as I know, everything rocky and larger than Earth is called "super earth".

 

[LURCH]

So we know there are super Earths, but what about super mercurys? These planets would be about Earth sized maybe bigger with large dense iron cores.

By this definition, wouldn't Earth be a super mercury?

 

[Brainiac2]

If we use orbital-distance-from-star criteria, then we certainly have discovered extra-solar planets that are much closer to their suns than Mercury is to ours. So in that distance sense, they might be viewed as super-Mercuries. But if we include density in the criteria, then we will have fewer choices in what we call a super Mercury. I'm not sure if they have found one with Mercury's density that close or closer to its star yet.