NASA: Ice on Mercury, scientists say they have proof of a long-held theory

Scientists from NASA say they have more proof of a long-held theory -- that there's ice on Mercury.

NASA says the frozen water was found on Mercury's north pole by the MESSENGER spacecraft.

"Today, there a three papers that have been published online by Science magazine led by my three colleagues to my left each one of them that present three new lines of evidence that it is water-ice indeed that dominates the composition of the polar deposits on Mercury," said Sean Solomon, MESSENGER principal investigator with NASA.

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun but temperatures fall well below freezing at night.

NASA says "the tilt of Mercury's rotational axis is almost zero — less than one degree — so there are pockets at the planet's poles that never see sunlight. Scientists suggested decades ago that there might be water ice and other frozen volatiles trapped at Mercury's poles."

Read more from NASA here: bitly link: http://1.usa.gov/Tozdb8