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Messenger primed for Mercury pass


Sonia

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Posted
  • Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire
  • Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

The first spacecraft to visit Mercury in more than 30 years passes the planet on Monday at a distance of just 200km.

The fly-by is the first of three the Messenger probe will make in the coming years as it slows itself to enter into orbit around the small world in 2011.

The US spacecraft will collect more than 1,300 images and make other observations during the encounter.

No probe has viewed Mercury up close since the Mariner 10 mission's third and final fly-by in March 1975.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7183846.stm

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Posted
  • Location: St. Albans, Herts
  • Location: St. Albans, Herts
Let's hope they've not confused their mm and inches again.

I understand men often do that... :)

It really is amazing this: all that way away and still telling us stuff. Wow!

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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
It really is amazing this: all that way away and still telling us stuff. Wow!

I wish Orange could do that, my mobile phone doesn't work in our back garden, Mercury would definitely be out of range :)

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Posted
  • Location: St. Albans, Herts
  • Location: St. Albans, Herts
Yes, but which way round the mistake is makes a big difference.

Absolutely, can mean the difference between crashing and burning, or reaching the promised land.....

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Posted
  • Location: Berlin, Germany
  • Weather Preferences: Ample sunshine; Hot weather; Mixed winters with cold and mild spells
  • Location: Berlin, Germany

A picture from yesterday- http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/scienc...mp;image_id=115

I've been following this probe since it launched and the last few days have been great seeing Mercury getting ever bigger in the photos. Tomorrows selection of images should be amazing assuming they can get them down and process them by then.

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Posted
  • Location: Berlin, Germany
  • Weather Preferences: Ample sunshine; Hot weather; Mixed winters with cold and mild spells
  • Location: Berlin, Germany

First close up pictures are now coming in: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/sciencePhotos/

The site is quite busy and keeps getting killed but well worth it when you get on it!

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Posted
  • Location: Western Isle of Wight
  • Weather Preferences: Snow, Storm, anything loud and dramatic.
  • Location: Western Isle of Wight

I got the 1024X1024 size piccy(the whole planet) from the Space weather site, has everybody seen this? I tried getting pictures and all sites are now not working re the bigger picture atm :) If you want me to post it just say :)

Russ

Its back on now anyway at NASA http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/208455m..._mercury_lg.jpg

Edited by Rustynailer
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