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Mercuryinstunningdetail:Nasa'sMessengerspacecraftrevealsbestviewsyetofEarth'ssunscorchedcousin|DailyMailOnline

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Mercuryinstunningdetail:Nasa's
Messengerspacecraftrevealsbestviews
yetofEarth'ssunscorchedcousin

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MessengerisexpectedtoimpactonthesurfaceofMercuryaroundApril30
SpacecrafthasbeenorbitingMercurysince2011,taking250,000pictures
Asitgetsloweritissendingbackimagesofthesurfaceingreaterdetail
Engineershaveattemptedtoextendthemissionbyusingupitslastfuel
ByRICHARDGRAYFORMAILONLINE
PUBLISHED:14:08GMT,10April2015|UPDATED:17:39GMT,10April2015

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Mercuryinstunningdetail:Nasa's
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Ithasspentfouryearsorbitingtheclosestplanettooursun,butdespitedesperateattemptsto
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Yetevenasitsmissiondrawstoanend,thefinalweeksofNasa'sMessengerspacecraftare
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Messengeriscurrently18miles(29.1km)aboveMercuryafterNasaengineersusedthelastofits
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4/15/2015

Mercuryinstunningdetail:Nasa'sMessengerspacecraftrevealsbestviewsyetofEarth'ssunscorchedcousin|DailyMailOnline

DON'TMISS

'Mywholelifehasbeen
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+9
AmongtheimagessentbackbyMessengerasitsmissiondrawstoanendisthispictureof2kmhighcliffs
cuttingthroughtheCarnegiecrater.TheyarethoughttohaveformedasMercuryhascooledandcontracted

Thespacecraft,however,isexpectedtosmashintotheplanet'ssurfaceon30April.

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ButasmessengerdropseverclosertoMercury'ssurface,itissendingbacksomeofthemost
detailedimageseverobtainedofthesmallestplanetinoursolarsystem.
Amongthefeaturesithasrevealedtoscientists
inthepastmontharepatternsofdistinctive
hollowseacharoundacoupleofhundred
metreswideinthebottomofahugeimpact
basin.
Ithasalsosentbackdetailedimagesofhuge
1.2mile(2km)highcliffsthatcutacrossacrater
namedDuccioonthesurface.
Anotherimageshowsa621miles(1,000km)
longcliffthatrises1.8miles(3km)abovethe
surface,calledEnterpriseRupes.
DatasentbackbyMercurysuggeststhesecliffs,
orlobatescarpsastheyarecalled,haveformed
asMercuryhascooledandcontractedover
time,creatingdramatictectonicfaultsonthe
surface.

MERCURY:THEPAINTEDPLANET
Researchershaveuncoveredthemysteryof
Mercury's'stealth'colourscheme.
Thesayasteadydustingofcarbonfrom
passingcometshasslowlypaintedMercury
blackoverbillionsofyears.
ItsolvesthemysteryofMercury'sunusual
colouringwhichhasbaffledscientists.
Onaverage,Mercuryismuchdarkerthanits
closestairlessneighbour,ourMoon.
Airlessbodiesareknowntobedarkenedby
micrometeoriteimpactsandbombardmentof
solarwind,processesthatcreateathincoating
ofdarkironnanoparticlesonthesurface.

Anotherimageshowsameteoritecraterthat
hasalmostcompletelyfilledwithlavaon
Mercury'snorthernvolcanicplains,leavingjust
thehintofarimbehind.

ButspectraldatafromMercurysuggestsits
surfacecontainsverylittlenanophaseiron,
certainlynotenoughtoaccountforitsdim
appearance.

Italsoshowshowthecontractingsurfaceofthe
planethasalsocreatedstrangeformations
whereridgesandcliffshavehitotherlavafilled
craters.

AscometsapproachMercury'sneighborhood
nearthesun,theyoftenstarttobreakapart.

AndyCalloway,MessengerMissionoperatoins
manageratJohnsHopkinsAppliedPhysics
Laboratory,said:'TheMESSENGERspacecraft
operatesinoneofthemostchallengingand
demandingspaceenvironmentsinourSolar
System,andwehavemetthatchallengedirectly
throughinnovationandhardwork,as

Cometarydustiscomposedofasmuchas25
percentcarbonbyweight,soMercurywould
beexposedtoasteadybombardmentof
carbonfromthesecrumblingcomets.
Scientistshavecalculatedthatafterbillionsof
yearsofbombardment,Mercury'ssurface
shouldbeanywherefromthreetosixpercent
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4/15/2015

Mercuryinstunningdetail:Nasa'sMessengerspacecraftrevealsbestviewsyetofEarth'ssunscorchedcousin|DailyMailOnline
exemplifiedbythestunningdiscoveriesanddata
returnachievements.

shoot

'Ouronlyregretisthatwehaveinsufficientpropellanttooperateanother10years,butwelook
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+9

ThisimagebyMessengershowsthedistinctivehollowsontheflooroftheZeamiimpactbasinonMercury

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Mercuryinstunningdetail:Nasa'sMessengerspacecraftrevealsbestviewsyetofEarth'ssunscorchedcousin|DailyMailOnline
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Thiscrumpledcraterhasbeendeformedafteritfilledwithlavaandthenridgesformedasthesurfacecooled

LaunchedinAugust2004,Messengerhastraveledmorethan4.9billionmiles(7.9billion
kilometers)duringitsmissiontoMercury.
Itsjourneyincluded15tripsaroundthesunbeforeitenteredorbitaroundMercuryin2011thefirst
spacecrafttoeverdoso.
Duringitsmissionishasacquiredmorethan250,000imagesandcollectedmorethan10terabytes
ofdatawithitssuiteofseveninstruments.
Ithashelpedtorevealvolcanicventsthatmeasureupto15milesacrossthatwereoncesourcesfor
thelargevolumesoflavathathavecoveredthesurfaceandcarvedoutvalleys.
IthasalsorevealedMercury'scomplexinternalstructureandthattheplanethasanunusuallylarge
corethatisstillpartiallyliquid.
On6AprilengineersusedthelastoftheMessengerspacecraft'shydrazinefueltotrytopushitinto
ahigherorbit.

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Mercuryinstunningdetail:Nasa'sMessengerspacecraftrevealsbestviewsyetofEarth'ssunscorchedcousin|DailyMailOnline
However,thetanksrandrybeforetheycould
raiseittomorethan11miles(18km)abovethe
surface.

ChloeMadeleysnaps
MOREracyselfiesof
hermuscularthighsand
definedwashboardabs
assheposesinskimpy
underwear
Selfieobsessed

Inanattempttoincreaseitsheightfurtherthe
teamthenejectedheliumgasfromthe
spacecraftthroughitsthrusterstoraiseittoits
currentlyheight.

CalumBestand
girlfriendIanthewearhis
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GeorgeBest'ssonis
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TheabovegraphicwasreleasedbyNasatomark
tenyearssincethespacecraftwaslaunchedin2004

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ThisimageshowssomeofthemysteriousirregularlyshapedhollowsonMercury'ssurfaceingreaterdetail

TheyhopetoraiseitfurtherwithanotherburstofheliumonApril14.
KarlWhittenburg,deputymissionoperationsmanageratJohnsHopkinsAppliedPhysics
Laboratory,said:'Toourknowledge,thisisthefirsteveruseofapressurantforaplanned
propulsionofaspacecraft,sowecouldonlytheorizehowitmightperform.
'WearenowfullyconfidentthatfutureuseofgaseousheliumwillcontinuetoprovideMessenger
withauniquevantagepointforstudyingMercury.'

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Mercuryinstunningdetail:Nasa'sMessengerspacecraftrevealsbestviewsyetofEarth'ssunscorchedcousin|DailyMailOnline
Grownupand
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ThiscolourimageofMercurywasoneofthefirstsentbackbyMessengerasitapproachedtheplanetin2008

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+9
Theaboveartist'simpressionshowsMessengerasitorbitsabovethesurfaceofMercury.Itisduetoimpact
onthesurfaceattheendofAprilastheplanet'sgravityslowlypullsitdownoutofitscurrentorbit

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Mercuryinstunningdetail:Nasa'sMessengerspacecraftrevealsbestviewsyetofEarth'ssunscorchedcousin|DailyMailOnline
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MessengerhasalsorevealedthetemperatureofMercury'ssurface.Thisimageoftheplanet'snorthpole
showstheextremeheatitissubjectedtowithredindicatingtemperaturesgreaterthan126candblue220c

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Thecommentsbelowhavenotbeenmoderated.
Sensei,Surrey,2daysago

Stunning...
Clicktorate

15

scousertommy,liverpool.england,3daysago

Whereareallthetinfoilhattersdenigratingthisarticle?.Ah,ofcourse.they'veneverheardof
anyotherplanetsotherthanthemoonandsunhavethey?.
Clicktorate

16

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Comments(16)

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JeffreySpinner,NYC,UnitedStates,3daysago

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article3033769/MercurystunningNasasMessengerspacecraftrevealsbestviewsEarthssunscorchedcousin.h 7/14

4/15/2015

Mercuryinstunningdetail:Nasa'sMessengerspacecraftrevealsbestviewsyetofEarth'ssunscorchedcousin|DailyMailOnline
It'sarock.Wooohooo.
Clicktorate

36

duVallon,Midwest,UnitedStates,4daysago

Thisismoreofanaccomplishmentthanmostpeoplecanevenbegintoimagine.Weknewway
WAYmoreaboutourmostoutsideplanetsthanweeverknewaboutMercuryforthesimple
reasonthatitalmostbeyondreasonhardtosendasatellitethere.Forasatellitetobesentto
Mercuryitmustfirstbefiredattheintensegravitywellofthesun,itwillpickupimmense
speedalongthewayandencountermassiveamountsofgravitationalforceasitapproachesthe
sun.Thenitmustbemadetocometoacompletestopandorbitourinnermostplanet.Iwasa
mathmajoratmyundergraduniversity.Isawthemathdoneinanappliedanalysisclassto
accomplishthisfeat.Theendresultshowedittobealmostimpossibletoaccomplish.Thisis
actuallyoneofthegreatestfeatsofNASA,butmostpeopledon'tappreciateitassuch.
Clicktorate

71

RoseLane,Framingham,UnitedStates,3daysago

Wellsaid.Andalsoequallymindblowing?Thatwecanseethefootagerightfromour
livingrooms.Whatwouldourforefathersthink?Theywouldcertainlyappreciateeven
thethoughtofit....
Clicktorate

14

Art,SanAntonioTXUSA,UnitedStates,3daysago

ItcircledthesunseveraltimesuntilMercurywasinjusttherightpositionwherean
efficientburn(towardthesun)wouldresultina"slingshot"escapefromtheSun's
gravity.ItwasperfectlytimedsoastointerceptMercury'sverylowgravitywellata
speedthatwouldresultinausableorbitforit'smission.Itdidn'tcometoacomplete
stop,ifitdidMercurywouldhaveflownbyatit'saverage172,000km/hrorbitalspeed.
Thesatellitedidnearlyloseallit'senergyrelativetoMercuryandsimple"fell"intoorbit
(aswastheplan)
Clicktorate

RetiredOldGuy,nearGlasgow,UnitedKingdom,4daysago

HeyEverybody!The"RedArrowWarrior"isback!Thestupidpudknockerhashackedthe
systemagainandisgettinghisrocksoffchangingeversingleoneofmygreenvotesto
hundredsofred......allbecausehecannotgethimselfawoman.Sympathy?Noway.............he
isjustanotheruselesswasteofoxygen.HehascontroloftheCommentsSectionandcanalso
accessyournameandemailaddress.....andyourcomputer!
Clicktorate

23

RetiredOldGuy,nearGlasgow,UnitedKingdom,3daysago

Redarrowsfromthosethatdonotbelieveme.Okay.Whathappenedtoallthoseavatar
photosthatmanyusershad?Wheredidtheygo?DMhadtoblockthatsystem
becausethehackerscontrolledit.Hestilloccasionallyunblocksitanputsuponefor
everybody...an"IronManMask"
Clicktorate

32

RetiredOldGuy,nearGlasgow,UnitedKingdom,3daysago

Youdoubtme.....Thenpleasetakethetimetoexplainyourversionofwhathappened
toallthoseavatars.Stillindoubt......emailDailyMailandtheywilltellyouexactlywhat
Ijustdid.
Clicktorate

12

41

Celebril,St.LouisUSA,UnitedStates,4daysago

Notbadforaprobewhoseprimarymissionwasonlyaoneyearjob.Congrats!
Clicktorate
LarryParker,Dallas,UnitedStates,4daysago

BenBovahaswrittensomeveryfictionalaccounts/booksaboutexploringplanetsinourSolar
System....TheoneaboutMercuryisaboutbuildingsolarpanelsontheplanettobeamenergyto
otherplanets,etc....Manyofthebooksabouttheotherplanetsalsoexpoundonthisprocess.
GreattocheckoutifyoulikegoodSciFi.
Clicktorate

13

Clicktorate

10

Lothar,Neston,UnitedKingdom,4daysago

Whydophotosofcratersoftenappearraisedlikebasrelief?

Prudence,SanFrancisco,UnitedStates,4daysago

Incredible.ThankyouMessenger,youhaveservedMankindwell.
Clicktorate

46

Ifitain'tbroke...Lauren
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'Neversaynever!':Nick
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MariahCarey
Splitlastyear

Robert,Atlanta,4daysago

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Lookslikethemoon.
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22

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