Mercury is one of The five classical planets and an easy naked eye object. The planets stood out from the other stars to our ancestors because of the way they all moved in regular patterns against the night sky, but Mercury was unique in its rapid motion and the way it never strayed far from the sun. If the planets were to be named for gods, then it was only natural that the flighty mercurial one should be their messenger. … Continue reading →
At 01h00 UTC this morning, MESSENGER ended its six and a half year journey by slipping neatly into orbit around Mercury. “This mission will continue to revolutionize our understanding of Mercury during the coming year,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, speaking at MESSENGER mission control. “NASA science is rewriting text books. MESSENGER is a great example of how our scientists are innovating to push the envelope of human knowledge.” This is the first time a spacecraft has ever orbited the … Continue reading →
