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Messenger Probe Sends Back Mercury Photos

Posted by Zonk on from the been-a-while-since-we-were-there dept.

arbitraryaardvark writes "NASA's Messenger probe flew past Mercury at a distance of 125 miles. The spacecraft took hundreds of pictures during the pass, updating photos from the now 30-year-old Mariner mission. According to an article at the International Business Times, the probe will eventually settle into orbit around Mercury in 2011. 'The images obtained by the $446 million MESSENGER mission (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) this week contain some of those unexplored areas. One image released Saturday was taken after Messenger made its closest approach to Mercury last week. In the photos released this week, scientists have observed unexplored cratered areas of the planet. On Monday, Messenger made its closest approach to Mercury yet, aiming for new discoveries. Among its goals is to discover if Mercury has ice water in its polar craters and to complete the mapping of the whole planet.' Meanwhile here on Earth, a joint EU/Japan probe with an ion drive is set to head towards Mercury sometime in 2013."

2 of 137 comments (clear)

  1. Its so.. grey by plasmacutter · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    I thought for a moment I was looking at detroit around this time of year.

    --
    VLC FOR MAC IS DYING! IF YOU DEVELOP, PLEASE SAVE IT!!
  2. NASA PROVES ALLAH IS GOD & MOHAMMED IS HIS PRO by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    WHAT THE HEATHEN ZIONIST AMERICAN GOVERNMENT DOES NOT TELL YOU IS THAT DURING MESSENGER'S SPACE-FLIGHT MOHAMMED SHOWED ALLAH'S INFINITE GLORY TO THE PROBE AND THAT MESSENGER SAW THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE PATH. THIS IS THE REASON MESSENGER SET ON A COURSE TO AIM FOR NEW DISCOVERIES.
    NOT "its goal is to discover if Mercury has ice water in its polar craters and to complete the mapping of the whole planet" BUT JIHAD AGAINST INFIDELS. THE WILL OF ALLAH WILL SPREAD OVER ALL OF MERCURY AS IT HAS OVER THE BALKAN PENINSULA, AND THE MIGHT OF ALLAH WILL BE PROVEN IN A DISCOVERY OF OIL RESERVES WHICH MESSENGER WILL HUMBLY CLAIM IN THE NAME OF ALLAH AND HIS PROPHET MOHAMMED.

    AND NO, IT WON'T BRING GAS PRICES DOWN.