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Spacecraft Sends First Image From Mercury's Orbit

Posted by samzenpus on from the hot-pictures dept.

adeelarshad82 writes "NASA released an image of Mercury captured by its Messenger spacecraft — the first ever obtained from the planet's orbit. The first image came in at 5:20am Eastern yesterday, and over the next six hours, Messenger captured an additional 363 images, which are still being transmitted to the Messenger team on Earth. In the next three days, the spacecraft will capture another 1,185 images, with the goal of snapping 75,000 over the next year."

15 of 97 comments (clear)

  1. Obligatory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Readers beware: it's actually a map of Uranus.

  2. Umm yeah... by sdguero · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here are the actual photos: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/sciencePhotos/

    1. Re:Umm yeah... by Locke2005 · · Score: 2

      Is it just me, or does the "First Color Image of Mercury" look pretty monochromatic?

      --
      I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    2. Re:Umm yeah... by cratermoon · · Score: 2

      You were expecting perhaps green grass, still blue waters, amber waves of grain, and red poppies?

    3. Re:Umm yeah... by ackthpt · · Score: 2

      Am I the only one disappointed they didn't find an O'Neill cylinder 54Km in length?

      --

      A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    4. Re:Umm yeah... by Unkyjar · · Score: 2

      I was expecting a small French boy, with blonde hair, green outfit and a red bow-tie. Perhaps holding a butterfly net in his hand.

  3. WTF by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    No atmosphere, and less craters than the Moon. Lame.

  4. Re:Amazing by h4rr4r · · Score: 2

    That one is also a classic kiddo. Just discover trolling did we?
    Go out, find new and more disgusting images young one. These old ones only make us feel nostalgic instead of revolted.

  5. hmm by Trailer+Trash · · Score: 2

    The first image came in at 5:20am Eastern yesterday

    What's the local time on Mercury for that?

    --
    Do you have ESP?
  6. Re:What have astronauts done lately? by Unkyjar · · Score: 3, Interesting

    While there may not be a lot of exploration and discovery, it doesn't mean that there isn't any science being done.

    http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/List.html

    Maybe they need flashier experiments?

  7. Re:This comment approved by 4 out of 5 squirrels by Unkyjar · · Score: 2

    Ouch. Paper cuts.

  8. The "color" images look gray by Troll-Under-D'Bridge · · Score: 2

    Lame indeed. I just took a look at Messenger's supposed First Color Image of Mercury from Orbit. I thought I'd gone color blind. It looked so gray. Trying to reproduce the subtle shades in a color printer would be a terrible waste of ink or toner, as you'd be forced to go Cyan-Magenta-Yellow (CMY) to print out something not quite Black (K) or gray.

    The mission may yet turn up some astounding scientific discovery, but Mercury isn't a very photogenic planet, as far as celestial bodies go.

  9. Actually by mister_playboy · · Score: 2

    Hubble has never taken pictures of Mercury because the risk of pointing the telescope that near to the Sun is too great.

    --
    Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law ::: Love is the law, love under will
    1. Re:Actually by blair1q · · Score: 2

      Hubble could get the picture when the Earth is between Hubble and the sun.

      Unless Mercury itself is just too bright.

  10. Re:When I was growing up.... by obscuro · · Score: 2

    Space is such a beautiful desolate hell. Enough gravity to be round, not enough to hold a big, asteroid-burning atmosphere.

    --
    Every rule has more than one consequence.