Message from the Messenger
April 1st 2011 01:26
Category: Jupiter
Recent Mercury image taken by Messenger over the crater Debussy
The MESSENGER spacecraft has finally arrived at its destination after travelling for the past six and half years.
The spacecraft has logged up some frequent flyer miles since it was launched in 2004.
Messenger completed over a dozen laps within the inner solar system before finally achieving orbit around plane Mercury.
Planet Mercury's diameter is 4880 kilometers (3030 miles) not much bigger than our Moon.
Mercury shares many similarities with our Moon.
Wide angle image of Mercury
Messenger is not the first space probe to study Mercury the Mariner space probe mission took some images of Mercury in 1974. Mariner 10 became the first and only spacecraft to reach Mercury and study Mercury during the twentieth century. Mariner 10 found that Mercury had a magnetic field.
CURRENT MOON
Previous studies of Mercury were conducted using earth based telescopes.
It is hoped that Messenger will gather more information, providing more images and continue to map Mercury for the next year.
These images will allow scientists to map out Mercury's entire surface and study its geology and atmosphere in more detail.
Messenger engines slowed the space craft the resulting 15 minute burn decreased Messenger’s speed to less than 2000 miles per hour, enough to achieve orbit over Mercury at an altitude of around 180 kilometers.
Messenger will continue to orbit Mercury approximately once every 12 hours for the duration of its primary mission. The space probe will also study Mercury’s plasma “tail” that was detected some months ago.
If you see an image of Mercury you would associated it to an image of the Moon as both objects display similar characteristics. They both have many craters and meteorite impacts and share almost identical surface features.
Images by NASA
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Comment by CarlCan
Astroearth
Camera Sense
Hi S.L.,
Mercury and or Moon have very much in common, perhaps both may have similar elements.
Mining Helium3 from Mercury would be problematic and prohibitively expensive.