Messenger Finds Blue Goo on Mercury
By JR Raphael
TechNewsWorld
10/30/08 10:53 AM PT
For many years, scientists believed that
Mercury, the planet closest to the sun, was similar to the moon.
New photos of the planet taken by NASA's Messenger probe, however,
show a planet rich in volcanic activity and populated with a
mysterious blue material that warrants further study.
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The results are in, and NASA's
latest fly-by of Mercury is
shedding new light on the solar system's smallest planet. The
Messenger space probe zipped around Mercury early in October,
examining parts of the planet never before explored.
The latest mission is
the second of three passes Messenger will take around the planet.
The first occurred in January and marked Mercury's first
significant exploration since the '70s. Now, we're gaining new
insight into the planet that has, until now, remained a
mystery.