Topic: Sean Solomon

All Content

NASA's Messenger probe beams back amazing images of Mercury

NASA's Messenger probe, the first spacecraft ever to orbit Mercury, has already taken more than 20,000 images.
How Mercury is like Saturn (and other surprises from NASA's orbiter)

NASA's Messenger craft has been orbiting Mercury for 88 days. Among its findings: a Saturn-like magnetic field, high concentrations of sulfur, and some support for the notion there is water ice in shadowed craters.
NASA milestone: MESSENGER spacecraft enters orbit around Mercury

Mercury had been excluded from the travels of instrument-loaded orbiters because of the difficulty of the mission – until now. On Thursday, the NASA MESSENGER started orbiting the planet.
NASA probe poised to be first to orbit Mercury

After a journey of 6 1/2 years, nearly 15 laps around the sun, NASA's Messenger spacecraft will perform its orbital insertion maneuver on Thursday, becoming the first spacecraft to enter Mercury's orbit.
Space rock lovers descend on New York for meteor gathering

The Meteoritical Society meets this week in New York to discuss all things space rock.
NASA's Messenger probe reveals new clues about Mercury

Mercury, the oddest of the rocky planets, has been little understood by scientists. But on a swing by the planet, NASA's Messenger sent back intriguing data about Mercury's surface minerals and volcanic activity.
Second look at first rock from the sun

New data from NASA’S MESSENGER spacecraft suggests Mercury was shaped by volcanism.
Messenger images show hidden face of Mercury

In the first flyby of Mercury in 33 years, the NASA spacecraft captured thrilling new details about the little-known planet.
A 124-mile view of Mercury's mysteries

Monday's flyby, the first visit in 33 years, is expected to render new images and data that can shed light on the origins of the solar system.