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Messenger Flies by Mercury

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the fun-in-the-sun dept.

Riding with Robots writes "Today, more than three decades after the last spacecraft visited Mercury, Messenger buzzed just 200 kilometers above the planet's surface. During the encounter, the robotic spacecraft conducted a range of scientific observations, including imaging swaths of Mercury's surface that have never been seen up close before. A few of the first pictures are now available, with many more to come in the next few days."

19 of 170 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Cant wait by xouumalperxe · · Score: 4, Funny

    Never know .. might be a nice Alien base on it's dark side

    Or... a Predator! *ducks*

  2. It's a FAKE! by Conspiracy_Of_Doves · · Score: 4, Funny

    That can't be real! There aren't any stars in the background!

    --

    Technoli
    1. Re:It's a FAKE! by Jefan · · Score: 2, Funny

      And if you look closely in that first picture, you can see a Coke bottle in one of the craters in the lower left hand corner!

    2. Re:It's a FAKE! by subnomine · · Score: 2, Funny

      So...like the 2008 Golden Globe awards?

    3. Re:It's a FAKE! by Max+Littlemore · · Score: 2, Funny

      Not only that, but if you look closely enough, you can see it's just one of the faked moon photos upside down! Definitely a hoax!

      --
      I don't therefore I'm not.
  3. Re:Zoom? by das_magpie · · Score: 2, Funny

    The Planet?

    They just took a few shots of the moon if you ask me.

  4. Re:Cant wait by Cassius+Corodes · · Score: 4, Funny

    Perhaps you took the astrology course by mistake?

    --
    Control is an illusion, order our comforting lie. From chaos, through chaos, into chaos we fly
  5. Re:Zoom? by HoosierPeschke · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's no moon...

    --
    Mr. Universe: "They can't stop the signal, Mal. They can never stop the signal."
  6. Re:Cant wait by fireman+sam · · Score: 4, Funny

    I for one welcome our Predator ducks overlords.

    Sorry.

    --
    it is only after a long journey that you know the strength of the horse.
  7. Re:Cant wait by Takichi · · Score: 4, Funny

    Nothing beats those astrology and cosmetology courses.

  8. Re:After they found the Face... by Mipsalawishus · · Score: 4, Funny

    That would be one hot ass!

  9. Re:Correction by stefanlasiewski · · Score: 4, Funny

    *clearly* he meant 01/15/8000000000008 , which in in the Mecurian calendar means the first month, fifteenth day in the 8-Trillion-and-8th Mecurian solar rotation.

    Plus, the Mercury citizens have learned to simply abbreviate as '08' on their paper calendars-- if you write all the zeros, the paper calendars usually catch fire before you are done-- so it's important to write quickly!

    --
    "Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."
  10. Re:Zoom? by fonik · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's just taking them a bit longer than usual to 'shop out all the UFO's.

  11. Re:Cant wait by maglor_83 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Something like this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Duckula

  12. Re:Three Cheers for NASA! by SimonInOz · · Score: 4, Funny

    >> Every time we send probes to other planets we find out really cool stuff.

    cool stuff? Now come on, this is Mercury.

    --
    "Cats like plain crisps"
  13. Global warming on Mercury by heroine · · Score: 4, Funny

    There's a planet with a serious global warming problem.

    1. Re:Global warming on Mercury by TempeTerra · · Score: 2, Funny

      Nonsense. It's part of a perfectly natural cycle the planet goes through and if you stop driving your SUV you might even make the planet COLDER than it should be. There is no global warming problem ;)

      --
      .evom ton seod gis eht
  14. Re:Three Cheers for NASA! by tarogue · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just make sure you word you request for the Selenium properly, or Speedy will end up going in circles and you could die.

    --
    Life sucks, but death doesn't put out at all. -- Thomas J. Kopp
  15. Re:Cant wait by RobertB-DC · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...quite a complex orbit, with mercurial days...

    Yeah, but the emo nights are the worst. Planets can be so bipolar!

    --
    Stressed? Me? Of course not. Stress is what a rubber band feels before it breaks, silly.