01-16-2008, 03:49 PM
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#1
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The new goggles also do nothing.
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Calgary
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New view of Mercury
__________________
Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
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01-16-2008, 03:58 PM
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#2
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 Posted the 6 millionth post! |
Wow, it looks like it's been pelted with asteroids about a gagillion times...
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01-16-2008, 04:02 PM
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#3
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Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Crowsnest Pass
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01-16-2008, 04:06 PM
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#5
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Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Crowsnest Pass
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http://www.planetary.org/explore/topics/messenger/
Mercury is the least explored terrestrial planet; fully half of the little rocky world has never been seen up close. MESSENGER will change that, capturing a comprehensive survey of the planet's cratered and rocky surface, vaporous atmosphere, and inexplicable magnetic field using seven science instruments. "MESSENGER" is an acronym that stands for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging. Once it reaches Mercury, the mission will last 1 Earth year, which corresponds to 4 Mercury years, but only 2 Mercury solar days!
MESSENGER is now in transit to Mercury, but the journey will take a very long time. To conserve on fuel, the spacecraft must rely on gravity assist flybys of Earth, Venus (twice), and Mercury (3 times) before settling into orbit around Mercury in March of 2011. The Earth flyby took place successfully on August 2, 2005, and the two Venus flybys on October 24, 2006 and June 5, 2007. The next significant event on MESSENGER's calendar is its first flyby of Mercury, on January 14, 2008. The flyby will be the first spacecraft visit to Mercury in 33 years.
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01-16-2008, 04:08 PM
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#6
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Vancouver
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Well, orbiting so close to the sun which is drawing in pretty much every rock in the solar system is death for a planet.
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01-16-2008, 04:12 PM
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#7
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Crash and Bang Winger
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Quote:
Originally Posted by troutman
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(Laugh) Just spare us from any links showing pictures of Uranus.
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01-16-2008, 05:35 PM
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#8
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#1 Goaltender
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Halifax
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looks like the moon
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01-16-2008, 05:57 PM
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#9
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Franchise Player
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thats fantastic! Really amazing picture!
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01-16-2008, 06:04 PM
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#10
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Vancouver
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What are those bright spots on the right hand side?
__________________
"A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."
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01-16-2008, 06:19 PM
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#11
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One of the Nine
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
What are those bright spots on the right hand side?
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Scientologist colonies.
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01-16-2008, 06:33 PM
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#13
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The new goggles also do nothing.
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Calgary
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
What are those bright spots on the right hand side?
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Ejecta from impact craters, they're called crater rays. The lighter streaks and craters are newer ones, over time they will fade, so you see lighter new ones overtop a darker surface. They look left prominent on the left side because of the different angles.
They fade because they are exposed constantly to high energy particles and micrometorites... space erosion. 
__________________
Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
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01-16-2008, 06:34 PM
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#14
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The new goggles also do nothing.
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Calgary
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 4X4
Scientologist colonies.
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Or that.
__________________
Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
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01-16-2008, 06:42 PM
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#15
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One of the Nine
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Quote:
Originally Posted by photon
Ejecta from impact craters, they're called crater rays. The lighter streaks and craters are newer ones, over time they will fade, so you see lighter new ones overtop a darker surface. They look left prominent on the left side because of the different angles.
They fade because they are exposed constantly to high energy particles and micrometorites... space erosion. |
Or that... 
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01-16-2008, 06:52 PM
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#16
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: in transit
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Wow...much bigger than I thought.
__________________
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01-16-2008, 08:23 PM
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#17
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The new goggles also do nothing.
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Calgary
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__________________
Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
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01-16-2008, 08:26 PM
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#18
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: NYYC
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NASA needs to buy color film.
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01-16-2008, 11:15 PM
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#19
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Franchise Player
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For reference the smallest craters you can see are about 300 meters across.
Also for photons picture, specifically the circular patch of caters in the top right:
Because of the weird spin/orbit coupling, when Mariner 10 passed Mercury in 1974, it never was able to see the western rim of Caloris Basin. But there it is, right there, seen by human eyes for the very first time.
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01-16-2008, 11:55 PM
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#20
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Franchise Player
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Quote:
Originally Posted by troutman
Once it reaches Mercury, the mission will last 1 Earth year, which corresponds to 4 Mercury years, but only 2 Mercury solar days!
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What is a solar day?
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