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29 October 2008
More Mercury from MESSENGER
Scientists from the MESSENGER mission to Mercury discussed today the results from the spacecraft's October 6 flyby of the closest planet to the sun. The probe has produced several science firsts and is returning hundreds of new photos and measurements of the planet's surface, atmosphere and magnetic field. The images show a battered surface, [...]
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07 October 2008
A Different Side of Mercury
Here's the first image from MESSENGER's flyby of Mercury on Monday. The bright crater just south of the center of the image is Kuiper, which has been seen before on images from the Mariner 10 mission in the 1970s. But most of this image, to the east, or right of Kuiper, toward the limb of [...]
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06 October 2008
MESSENGER's Second Flyby of Mercury Complete
This morning at 4:40 am EDT, the MESSENGER spacecraft passed only 200 kilometers (124 miles) above Mercury’s surface as it made its second flyby of the mission. Now, the spacecraft is speeding away from Mercury, continuing its science observations for about 20 hours following closest approach. This flyby should provide the first global perspective [...]
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06 October 2008
MESSENGER's Second Flyby of Mercury: Awaiting Data
This morning at 4:40 am EDT, the MESSENGER spacecraft passed only 200 kilometers (124 miles) above Mercury’s surface as it made its second flyby of the mission. Now, the spacecraft is speeding away from Mercury, continuing its science observations for about 20 hours following closest approach. This flyby should provide the first global perspective [...]
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08 May 2008
Unknowns in Mercury’s Gravity Field Provides Challenges for MESSENGER Mission
Scientists from the MESSENGER mission continue to analyze the data from the spacecraft's first flyby of Mercury on January 14, 2008. Initial data about the planet's gravity field grabbed the science team's attention, as the actual gravity data differed from predictions based on the Mariner 10 flyby in 1975. Any unknowns in [...]
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08 May 2008
Gravity Anomaly Challenges MESSENGER Mission
Scientists from the MESSENGER mission continue to analyze the data from the spacecraft's first flyby of Mercury on January 14, 2008. Initial data about the planet's gravity field grabbed the science team's attention, as the actual gravity data differed from predictions based on the Mariner 10 flyby in 1975. Any unknowns in [...]
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07 May 2008
Snow on Mercury?
No, not that kind of snow, but scientists say deep inside the planet Mercury, iron “snow” forms and falls toward the center of the planet, much like snowflakes form in Earth’s atmosphere and fall to the ground. The movement of this iron snow could be responsible for Mercury’s mysterious magnetic field, and Mercury may [...]
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02 May 2008
Could Jupiter Wreck the Solar System?
Scientists have expressed their concern that the Solar System may not be as stable as it seems. Happily orbiting the Sun, the eight planets (plus Pluto and other minor planets) appear to have a high degree of long-term gravitational stability. But Jupiter has a huge gravitational influence over its siblings, especially the smaller planets. It [...]
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30 January 2008
Mercury is Less Like the Moon than Previously Believed
With Mercury fading in MESSENGER's rear view mirror, scientists are just starting to pore through the torrent of images sent back. And as you can probably guess, the new mysteries are piling up fast and furious. The planet is much less like the Moon than scientists previously thought.
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23 January 2008
Mercury in Living Color
The MESSENGER science team released more pictures from the Jan. 14 flyby, including what we’ve all been waiting for, the first one in color! But if you're looking for spectacular, eye-catching color, well, sorry, its just not part of Mercury's make-up. The color image was created by combining three separate images taken through MESSENGER’s Wide [...]
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18 January 2008
Most Advanced Ion Engines For 2013 BepiColumbo Mission to Mercury
British scientists have been given the green light to begin the development of the most advanced ion engines ever to be used in space travel history. Set for launch in 2013, the European BepiColumbo mission to Mercury will be propelled to the Solar System's innermost planet by advanced ion engines, with an efficiency equivalent to [...]
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18 January 2008
More Images of Mercury are Pouring In
Even though the Mercury flyby happened earlier this week, you can look forward to days and days of images. I'm nowhere near finished being amazed and entertained by the deluge of images captured by MESSENGER.
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16 January 2008
Nobody Has Ever Seen This Side of Mercury
Even though spacecraft have visited Mercury in the past, the same hemisphere was always in sunlight for every encounter. One side was photographed, and the other side was a complete and total mystery. There could be a big smiley face there, and we'd never know it. Well, the mystery's over. MESSENGER flew past Mercury on [...]
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15 January 2008
A Winged MESSENGER Flies By Mecury
On January 14 the MESSENGER spacecraft skimmed just 200 kilometers (124 miles) above the surface of Mercury in the first of three flybys of the planet. Today (Jan. 15) the spacecraft will turn back towards the Earth to start down-linking the on-board stored science data it acquired during the flyby. The probe's [...]
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11 January 2008
MESSENGER Flyby of Mercury January 14th
If you thought you were good at pool, think again: in a game of interplanetary billiards, the MESSENGER team has guided its spacecraft to pass by Mercury for the first time on Monday, after a dizzying path that has already taken it past the Earth once and Venus twice. The MESSENGER (Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry [...]
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