For the first time ever a spacecraft has taken a photo of the closest planet to the sun, Mercury, from orbit. This photo was taken last night and has made its rounds after being shared by NASA. Being the huge space geek that I am - I was incredibly excited by the photo.
The photograph—which was taken yesterday, March 29, 2011 at 5:20am EDT—shows the surface of the innermost planet of the Solar System with unprecedented detail. Messenger—MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging—will now begin to map and study the planet in detail, following the work of Mariner 10. Mariner was the first space probe to obtain images of Mercury while flying by it in 1975. Messenger, however, will orbit the planet acquiring tons of information about its composition, geological history and magnetic field.
Follow the link below for the full article and to view a full resolution image of the photo. It's glorious.
Source: Gizmodo
About Robb
Hi, I'm Robb Clarke - a Fredericton, New Brunswick based Web Designer and Developer. I'm currently working with OrangeSprocket as one of their Front End Developers. Please take a look around my site and give the Blog a read (or the Shorts if you're looking for a shorter read about none industry related stuff) or stop by my Portfolio to see what I've been up to lately. Most importantly - don't be a stranger.