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Mercury and MESSENGER
The planet Mercury is the smallest of the inner planets (4,880 km/3,032 mi in diameter), and the closest to the Sun (58 million km/36 million mi - or 3.2 light minutes). It was visited by the Mariner 10 spacecraft twice in the 1970s, and about 45% of the surface was mapped. On August 3rd, 2004, NASA launched a new mission to Mercury, the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging probe (or MESSENGER). MESSENGER is now in the last stages of multiple gravity-assist flybys of Earth, Venus and Mercury, en route to an insertion into orbit around Mercury in March of 2011. In just two flyby encounters, MESSENGER has already greatly increased our knowledge about Mercury's surface features. As you look at Mercury in the new images below, keep in mind that it has minimal atmosphere, gravity about 1/3 of Earth's, and surface temperatures ranging from -183 C (-297 F) in some polar craters to 427 C (801 F) at high noon (Mercury's solar day lasting 176 Earth days). (20 photos total)
As NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft receded from Mercury after making its closest approach on January 14, 2008, it recorded several mosaics covering part of the planet not previously seen by spacecraft. The color image shown here was generated by combining the mosaics taken through three filters (infrared, far red and violet). These three images were placed in the red, green, and blue channels, respectively, to create the visualization presented here, creating a false-color image that accentuates the subtle color differences on Mercury's surface. (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington)
At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers check the placement of NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft on a work stand on March 10th, 2004. There employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. (NASA) #
At Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Florida, a worker checks wiring on the MESSENGER spacecraft on June 21st, 2004. Two solar arrays were installed later, followed by a deployment test. MESSENGER was built for NASA by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. (NASA) #
After rollback of the mobile service tower, a technician looks up at the Boeing Delta II rocket with the MESSENGER spacecraft aboard, ready for launch on a seven-year journey to the planet Mercury. This was the second launch attempt in two days after the first attempt Aug. 2 was postponed due to lightning potential. (NASA) #
This image, acquired about 89 minutes before MESSENGER's closest approach to Mercury on October 6, 2008, shows newly imaged terrain that was not previously seen by either Mariner 10 or during MESSENGER's first flyby. MESSENGER was 27,000 km (17,000 mi) away, resolution is 5 km/pixel (3 mi/pixel). (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington) #
On January 14, 2008, the MESSENGER spacecraft passed 200 km (124 mi) above the surface of Mercury and snapped the first pictures of a side of Mercury not previously seen by spacecraft. This image shows that side, with a view looking toward Mercury's south pole (top, south is up in this image). This image was acquired when the spacecraft was at a distance of about 33,000 km (21,000 mi). (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington) #
This scene was imaged by MESSENGER's Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) during the spacecraft's flyby of Mercury on January 14, 2008. The surface of Mercury is revealed at a resolution of about 250 meters/pixel (about 820 feet/pixel). For this image, the Sun is illuminating the scene from the top and north is to the left. The outer diameter of the large double ring crater at the center of the scene is about 260 km (160 mi). The crater appears to be filled with smooth plains material that may be volcanic in nature. Multiple chains of smaller secondary craters are also seen extending radially outward from the double ring crater. Double or multiple rings form in craters with very large diameters, often referred to as impact basins. On Mercury, double ring basins begin to form when the crater diameter exceeds about 200 km (125 mi). (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington) #
Named for Juliana Sveinsdottir, an Icelandic painter and textile artist, Sveinsdottir crater (center) superimposed by Beagle Rupes is a distinctive feature on Mercury's landscape, seen in this January 14, 2008 image. Unusually elliptical in shape, the crater was produced by the impact of an object that hit Mercury's surface obliquely. More than 600 kilometers (370 miles) long and one of the largest fault scarps on the planet, Beagle Rupes marks the surface expression of a large thrust fault believed to have formed as Mercury cooled and the entire planet shrank. (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington) #
This October 6, 2008 NAC image shows a view of the interior of a newly discovered large impact basin on Mercury, with a diameter of roughly 700 kilometers (430 miles). The basin was imaged as MESSENGER approached Mercury for the mission's second flyby of the innermost planet. The basin floor has a set of radiating fractures that bear a similarity to the extensional troughs of Pantheon Fossae, imaged near the center of Caloris basin during MESSENGER's first Mercury flyby. Members of the MESSENGER Science Team are currently mapping the features associated with this unusual basin and investigating the history of its formation and modification. (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington) #
Machaut is the name of this crater, approximately 106 kilometers (66 miles) in diameter, first seen under high-Sun conditions by Mariner 10 in the 1970s. The crater is named for the medieval French composer and poet Guillaume de Machaut. This October 6, 2008 NAC image shows an amazing new view of Machaut taken during MESSENGER's second flyby of Mercury. The slanting rays of the Sun cast shadows that reveal numerous small craters and intricate features. The largest crater within Machaut appears to have been inundated by lava flows similar to those that have filled most of the floor of the larger feature. The adjacent, slightly smaller crater was formed at a later time and excavated material below the lava-formed surface. MESSENGER science team members will also be studying the shallow ridges that crisscross Machaut's floor. (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington) #
In one of the first images transmitted back to Earth following MESSENGER's second flyby of Mercury on October 6, 2008, a spectacular and extensive system of rays can be seen. This NAC image shows a close-up view of the apparent source of those rays, a crater 110 kilometers (68 miles) in diameter located in the northern region of Mercury. The location of this bright crater is consistent with Earth-based radar images, which suggested a very fresh, rayed impact crater in this area. The amazing extent of this large ray system is visible for the first time in MESSENGER's newly acquired images. (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington) #
On October 6, 2008, MESSENGER made its second flyby of the innermost planet, and captured a view of Vivaldi crater at sunrise. Long shadows are draped across the floor of this feature, which is actually considered a "small" double-ring basin despite having a diameter of 213 kilometers (133 miles). The low Sun illumination also highlights ridges, valleys, and chains of craters radiating away from Vivaldi. (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington) #
During the October 6, 2008 flyby of Mercury, MESSENGER's NAC captured a new view of the bright, radial ejecta rays of Kuiper crater that were previously imaged by Mariner 10 at a lower Sun angle. Kuiper crater is named for Gerard Kuiper, a Dutch-American astronomer who was also a member of the Mariner 10 team. Bright ejecta rays such as these are produced as impacts excavate and eject relatively unweathered subsurface material. The ejecta rays of Kuiper and other large craters are observed to extend for hundreds of kilometers across the cratered terrain of Mercury. (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington) #
This NAC image shows a close-up view of the craters Vyasa and Stravinsky (PIA11360). Stravinsky is the smooth-floored crater partially seen on the right side of the image that overlies the rim of the larger, rougher crater Vyasa in the center and left. The low-Sun lighting angle casts distinctive shadows that show Mercury's rough surface, pockmarked by craters of all sizes. Small craters are visible on the smooth-floor of Stravinsky because of the high resolution of this image. (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington) #
This dramatic NAC image was acquired about 56 minutes prior to MESSENGER's closest approach during the mission's October 6, 2008 Mercury flyby. Prominent toward the horizon in this view of newly imaged terrain is a long cliff face. A small impact crater (about 30 kilometers, or 19 miles, in diameter) overlies this lengthy scarp. The scarp extends for over 400 kilometers (250 miles) and likely represents a sign of aging unique to Mercury among the planets in the Solar System. As time passes, the interior of a planet cools. However, the relative size of Mercury's central metallic core is larger than that of the other planets and hence has significantly affected the planet's geologic evolution. The numerous long scarps on Mercury are believed to be the surface expression of faults formed in the rocks of Mercury's crust as the interior of the planet cooled and contracted. This contraction compressed the surface and thrust some sections of crust over others, creating long curving cliffs like the one shown here. (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington) #
Taken about 28 minutes following MESSENGER's closest approach during the mission's second Mercury flyby, this October, 2008 NAC image, just one of a large mosaic set, focuses in on an impact basin with a nicely developed peak-ring structure. Subsequent impact events have resulted in smaller craters superimposed on top of the larger peak-ring basin. Peak-ring structures form during the impact process and can be found in many large basins on Mercury's surface. (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington) #
On October 5, 2008 4:40 am EDT, MESSENGER successfully completed its second flyby of Mercury. The spectacular image shown here is one of the first to be returned and shows a WAC image of the departing planet taken about 90 minutes after the spacecraft's closest approach to Mercury. The bright crater just south of the center of the image is Kuiper, identified on images from the Mariner 10 mission in the 1970s. A striking characteristic of this newly imaged area is the large pattern of rays that extend from the northern region of Mercury to regions south of Kuiper. This extensive ray system appears to emanate from a relatively young crater newly imaged by MESSENGER, providing a view of the planet distinctly unique from that obtained during MESSENGER's first flyby. (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington) #
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
# 20 is amazing...there is so much out there we have no idea about!
damn i almost thought this was about Mercury messenger... an OSX messenger app...
#8 does it!
So mysterious.
#20 looks (a bit) like the Death Star ;]
Interesting to see that the surface of this planet is formed by meteor impacts. I'm just glad we have an atmosphere :-)
Nice place to visit. Wouldn't want to live there, though.
How are the south/north poles defined? Is there a magnetic field on every planet of the solar system?
wonderfull pics!
Awesome! reminds me of the sci-fi film Sunshine!
wonderful!
hatsoff to all those astronomers/physicists and each one of this mission!
wish i'm part of that team! :)
@Scott
It's just like the USA
Thank You for showing us this :)
Realy amazing! Mercury is being revealed with great and marvelous detail!
Woah juste saved a gazillion dollars for not having to go there to see it anymore. Thanks to TBP! ^_^
@mat #7 Poles are defined by a planet's rotation, not by its magnetic field. If you consider the plane that the Earth's orbit makes around the sun, the "north" pole of any planet is its rotational pole that lies on the same side of that plane as Earth's north pole. (You can think of the entire solar system as having a "north," with the north of each planet defined as the end of the rotational axis that extends into the "north" side of the solar system.)
Yes, Mercury has a magnetosphere. Its magnetosphere is dipole like Earth's, and better aligned with its rotational poles than ours is. That is, you wouldn't have to futz with compass declination corrections on Mercury nearly as much as you do here.
@mat: it seems to be a little of both, according to Wikipedia: There are a few working definitions--one has to do with the "north" axis of rotation being in the same general direction as earth's "north." One defines "north" as the pole over which the planet is observed to be rotating counterclockwise. And another has to do with magnetic fields, if the planet has them.
However, mercury is the least "tilted" of all the planets, and its magnetic poles align almost perfectly with its rotational axis, so magnetic and rotational "north" happen to be the same here. As I understand it.
Amazing images, as always!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poles_of_astronomical_bodies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_(planet)#Magnetic_field_and_magnetosphere
I like these amazing space photos. Photo 8 is probably my favorite.
Did anyone notice the smoke(or what seems to be smoke) in picture 9?
@Jhon
hahahahaha
BTW, #18 is so cool
I teach astronomy at University of Maryland:
Dezorian: Earth's atmosphere only protects us from objects less than about 50
meters in diameter. Anything bigger than that is going to blast through the atmosphere and hit us. Fortunately, there aren't too many things that size out there.
Mat: the north pole of a planet is the pole that if you looked "down" on it from above, the planet would be rotating counterclockwise. Most planets orbit the Sun counterclockwise, and most planets are also oriented so their north poles are more or less "up" (like the Earth's).
Not all planets have a magnetic field. Since Mercury is so small, one might think its interior had cooled off enough to solidify the metal core that might cause a magnetic field. However, measurements by Mariner 10 and confirmed by MESSENGER have shown it does have a very weak magnetic field.
Wow, it blows your mind to think just for a second about where these photos are coming from and what we're looking at.
mat, (#7) poles are the axis of rotation.
@mat, I would assume that you could define the poles based on it's rotation axis.
Realmente un trabajo fuera de serie y unas fotosgrafías de la misma calidad técnica.
Realmente mis más sinceras felicitaciones por todo el trabajo realizado y la cultura a bosotros aportada.
Dr. Martín F. Real de Azúa
Asesor Aeronáutica del Ministerio de Turismo y Deporte
República Oriental del Uruguay
América del Sur
Damn Good.
Really interesting!
I think we are not alone in the universe!
Congratulations from Spain!
That is no planet. Its a space station.
Awesome pics. I like #1 and #20 the best.
The last pic is just astonishing!
Fascinating.
Awesome photos, but also curious of the "smoke" at the top right of pic 9
Amazing pictures... There's so much more to learn... it's just not enough... The surprises that our solar system springs up, it's just mind boggling.
Also, Mercury is the fastest planet in the solar system.It takes 88 days to go round the sun...
Re: the smoke on pic 9: Probably just a prominent ridge being caught by the sun, seen edge on from this perspective.
That's not smoke, that's the sun shining on the high edge of craters. Although i can picture smoke there... Kinda like looking at clouds and imagining objects;p
Beautiful pictures, love #8 and #20.
Congratz from Portugal
Sorry, anyone can see the stars?
Absolutely great...
#20 is the best one!
It's actually quite frightening to be honest...
I remember visiting Mercury as a small robot, but there was nothing to do there. Some friends still live there though, so I do get back from time to time to visit. Thanks for the pictures!
The "smoke" in #9 is just a ridge, lighten by the sunlight...
#20 is the best by far
Yes, #8 looks like a shot composed by Stanley Kubrick...
It's amazing how round Mercury is despite all its craters!
@32: No chance for both in one picture - Mercury is really, really bright (just consider how close it is to the sun). Can't have it both ways: If you want to see the stars, Mercury's just an overexposed, white blob. If you set the camera to see Mercury, the stars are too faint to register.
Bogdan -- you can't see the stars in these pictures because they are so faint that in order for the camera to pick them up, it would have to overexpose Mercury. This is why most pictures taken by deep space probes don't show stars -- the point of the mission is to see planets/moons/asteroids/whatever, not stars. But some do. Cassini has taken some incredible pics of the dark sides of moons, lit only by Saturnshine or even the fainter ringshine. To image such faintly lit surfaces, they have to do long exposures, and then you can see the stars (although they're usually smeared because of the spacecraft panning during the exposure to track the object as it goes by). Also, all probes have taken pictures of stars for navigational purposes, though the pictures aren't very pretty or useful, so you don't see them very often.
Great pictures, but how much money was spent to get these pictures of a dry, monotonous planet? Wouldnt it have been much better to spend that money to speed up the exploration of "Planet Earth"? There is so much we need to learn about our complex, fragile yet beautiful home. Our survival as a species depends on us understanding our planet ASAP!
so pure.
These photos are beautiful.
Yeah, why can't you see any stars in the background?
#4, #25: If you really want something that looks like the Death Star, try Saturn's moon Mimas.
Downright uncanny, that one is...
AWESOME!
Glad to see NASA is alive and well, despite all the irrational hate out there.
The spirit of adventure is not dead!
@25
Hahaha, awesome Star Wars reference there bud.
I assume they wear the head covers to keep from contaminating anything by falling hair. If so, why does the person in Pic #2 have hair hanging out so much?
@32: It's not possible to see stars in these images because the surface of the Mercury is much brighter that the average star. Since Mercury is what we are interested in seeing, the Messenger spacecraft's camera has been set to provide the clearest possible pictures of the planet itself, using very short exposures.
Spacecraft that are designed to look at stars (for example, the Hubble Space Telescope) must use much longer photographic exposures than ones like Messenger, which are designed to investigate planets.
The US is in the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression... and we're spending all this money... for this? What a waste. Get rid of NASA - it will save us trillions!
No, it would save you billions. NASA doesn't use that much money in the great scheme of things. If you want to save money, cut in the military; that's the big player in the US federal spending.
Besides, with trillions being spent on economic stimulus anyway, why not spend some of it on NASA? It's as good a stimulus as any...
Photos 6 and 7 just flippin blew me away. The engineering behind it is incredible. Yea, what the hell, as long as our government is throwing away money, lets give NASA an extra 25 billion per year. At least they're doing something worthwhile
Save trillions??? Have you even looked at the Federal Budget? NASA accounts for just over half of one percent of the Federal Budget. That's minuscule when compared to a lot of the other wasteful shit that is in the budget. Yeah, let's cut NASA and put more people out of work. Not to mention all the vendors they use would lose a lot of work too. What a genius idea you have.
Dear Earthians,
Can you deliver some sunblock cream with good SPF ? I am getting sunburned badly, daily.
Regards Mercury
PS: I will ask for a stretch marks removal cream next time.
absolutely amazing :) these craters looks like these craters are connected, and the basic planet centers
what are you doing in order to analize solar wind in depth?
I would like to know more about the special orbits of mercury
JHUAPL site that compares planned Mercury images with the actual ones: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/encountersm2actual/
@51- the tech we use daily has space roots, and this went up before present situation
amazing pics!!..oh God I love it...#20 it's so awesome!!.. really like it..
@Sanguinity, Lizzie, Arby, Chris & Melissa: thank you!
thank you so much for the space pictures, keep them coming. loving every single glorious image
The ignorance about NASA's budget and what it provides to citizens everyday never ceases to amaze me. NASA's budget is about 1% of the entire federal budget. A visit to http://www.techbriefs.com/ will demonstrate that NASA does not waste the taxpayers' money. Even if you don't like exploration, see the many products developed because of NASA research.
I work for the Principal Investigator of the MESSENGER mission, and everyday I am awed by the entire team's dedication and hard work. The more the scientists learn about Earth's siblings, the more they understand about Earth's internal and external dynamics. Knowledge is power in every field of study.
#7: It always amazes me that these delicate instruments can survive the violence of liftoff unscathed. That's-a some-a good engineering there.
Great pics. #20 is my new desktop wallpaper, pure class, thanks!
@51 What a silly comment. As spacey one mentioned, the money that goes into NASA develops amazing technology that has a trickle down effect and can play a big part in our lives later. To think that investing in NASA is a waste of taxpayer money is shortsighted and ignorant.
As for the "trillions" you're a little off: $17.6b to NASA total; $3.5b for exploration (down 8% from last year)
source: http://www.wallstats.com/deathandtaxes/
@66: Liftoff is one thing, they've been doing that for years. I'm more amazed that the instruments and electronics can survive and operate in the fantastic temperature extremes as the craft passes into and out of shadow that close to the sun. "surface temperatures ranging from -183 C (-297 F) in some polar craters to 427 C (801 F) at high noon"
La France aussi aime ces photos :)
Mercury, May I ask-- Why? John June 15th 20:46 ps "breathtaking"
i love this !
j'adore sa c'est juste magnifique ! est allez la france !
Awesome pictures !!!!
Really nice pictures indeed... Thanks !
Anis, tu n'es pas vraiment Français(e) n'est-ce pas ? Faire autant de fautes en une phrase, c'est chaud quand même :)
Et pourquoi autant de commentaires parlant de la France ? Arrêtons de faire les chauvins les amis, on parle d'astronomie, de poésie, de mathématique... Bref, ce qui concerne tous les Humains :)
It's amazing how it looks lile our MOON!!!
simplemente excelso!
Simply Gorgeous, Dear mercury way to put our little earth lives in perspective
yeah because they built mercury after the death star....
Wow mercury is exceptionally boring in appearence.
If you compare these images with photographs of our own moon from the Apollo missions, you'll see some striking similarities. I found it hard to believe that this was Mercury and not the moon.
How many impacts on surface.
Maybe there is some pieces of the former comets through Solar System.
Mercury can be a nice Enciclopedia of the Origin. Diferent shapes un craters must show different ages.
Very interestin photos, I love 10 and 13
wow, we finally got more of mercury's surface. pics 1 and 20 shed so much new light on this amazing planet. i cant wait 'till we get more pics of pluto on 2015. that will be amazing!
i wonder if scientists will send a landing probe to discover more. it probably won't be any time soon, what with the economy and all.
This information is very incredible.
These are not impact craters. They're hydrocraters from volcanism. Pic #12 shows craters with outflowing channels, as does #16. Fill up the crater in #16 with water and you have Crater Lake in Oregon, with its Wizard Island. Or Mono Lake in California, with its Pahoa Island. Or the dry Ubehebe Crater in Death Valley N.Park which is considered a steam eruption. Water has been discovered on nearly every planet in the Solar System, including the Sun and other stars. Google it. There is a reason why the planets are spherical, the same as why liquid droplets are spherical in the absence of gravity.