First pictures From Mercury in 30 yrs.

Thread starter Janus
Start date Jan 17, 2008
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Mercury Pictures

In summary, the recent pictures from Mercury, captured by NASA's Messenger spacecraft, provide updated and detailed information about the planet's surface and atmosphere. These images reveal important information about Mercury's formation, evolution, and current conditions. They were captured using the Mercury Dual Imaging System, which consists of two cameras equipped with filters. These pictures can teach us about Mercury's geological features, composition, and atmosphere. Compared to previous images, they are of higher resolution and cover previously uncharted areas. Despite the end of NASA's Messenger mission, future plans for studying Mercury include a joint mission by the European and Japanese Space Agencies, called BepiColombo, which is expected to reach the planet in 2025 and continue gathering data and images.

Jan 17, 2008

Janus

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NASA's Messenger probe sent back it's first pictures:

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080116-messenger-mercury-images.html

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Jan 17, 2008

Astronuc

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MESSENGER images

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/messenger/multimedia/index.html

Detailed Close-Up of Mercury's Previously Unseen Surface!

Jan 21, 2008

sysreset

Any color images forthcoming from this mission? Or perhaps, these apparent greyscale images are showing true colors?

Related to First pictures From Mercury in 30 yrs.

What is the significance of the first pictures from Mercury in 30 years?

The first pictures from Mercury in 30 years are significant because they provide scientists with updated and detailed information about the planet's surface and atmosphere. These images can help researchers better understand the planet's formation, evolution, and current conditions.

What technology was used to capture these pictures?

The pictures were captured by the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) aboard NASA's Messenger spacecraft. This system consists of a narrow-angle camera and a wide-angle camera, both equipped with filters to capture images in different wavelengths of light.

What can we learn from these pictures?

These pictures can provide valuable information about Mercury's geological features, such as craters, mountains, and valleys. They can also reveal the planet's composition, including the presence of different minerals and elements. Additionally, the pictures can help scientists study Mercury's atmosphere and its interactions with the solar wind.

How do these pictures compare to previous images of Mercury?

The last time pictures of Mercury were captured was in 2015 by NASA's Messenger spacecraft. The images from the recent flyby are of higher resolution and cover areas of the planet that were not previously photographed. This allows for a more comprehensive understanding of Mercury's surface and atmosphere.

What are the future plans for studying Mercury?

NASA's Messenger spacecraft has completed its mission and crash-landed on Mercury in 2015. However, the European Space Agency and the Japanese Space Agency are planning a joint mission, called BepiColombo, which is expected to reach Mercury in 2025. This mission will continue to gather data and images of the planet, further advancing our understanding of this intriguing world.