Earth receives Mercury images
Thursday, 17 Jan 2008 10:17
One of the images of Mercury's surface captured by Messenger
Science In Focus
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Images of Mercury's previously unseen surface have been beamed back to Earth for the first time, Nasa has announced.
The agency's Messenger spacecraft is flying past the planet for the first time in 33 years and is using the opportunity to collect images and make other observations.
Images show a cratered surface, with some as small as 300 yards across, and landscapes near Mercury's equator on the side of the planet never before imaged by spacecraft.
The spacecraft has also captured one of the highest and longest cliffs yet seen on Mercury, the planet closest to the sun.
Nasa is hopeful the highly detailed close-ups will enable planetary geologists to study the processes that have shaped Mercury's surface over the past four billion years.
Messenger will make three fly-bys of Mercury, travelling as close as 124 miles above its rocky surface.
The fly-bys come ahead of Messenger's mission to the planet, which it will orbit from 2011.
Nasa scientists say the findings from observations could open new theories and answer old questions about the solar system.
The fly-bys will also provide a critical gravity assist needed to keep the spacecraft on track for its March 2011 orbit and essential data for mission planning.