Mercury

Scientists set for second spacecraft flyby of Mercury

harminka — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 07:07:52 -0500

NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft, which is toting an $8.7 million University of Colorado at Boulder instrument to measure Mercury's wispy atmosphere and blistering surface, will make its second flyby of the mysterious, rocky planet Oct. 6.

Volcanic Activity Shaped Mercury After All

harminka — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:13:00 -0500

A research team led by Brown University planetary geologist James Head has determined that volcanism played a central role in forming Mercury’s surface. The evidence of volcanic activity lends important insights into Mercury’s geologic history and appears in a special section describing the MESSENGER mission’s recent flyby of Mercury in the July 4 issue of Science.

Mercury's surface dominated by volcanism and iron-deficiency

harminka — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:26:27 -0500

Volcanism has played a more extensive role in shaping the surface of Mercury than scientists had thought. This result comes from multispectral imaging data gathered in January 2008 by MESSENGER, the latest spacecraft to visit the sun's innermost planet.

What planet Mercury is made of

harminka — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 01:46:37 -0500

By measuring the charged particles in the planet Mercury's magnetic field, a University of Michigan sensor enabled the first observations about the surface and atmospheric composition of the closest world to the sun.

Mercury levels from products decreasing, though still at dangerous levels

harminka — Thu, 08 May 2008 00:31:32 -0500

A recent study shows that mercury releases from products in the U.S. declined dramatically between 1990 and 2005, but that they continue to be a significant source of environmental contamination. Mercury released from products contributes nearly one-third of total mercury emissions to the air in the U.S. The findings offer a new view into the relative magnitudes of the different sources of mercury release.

Dental chair a possible source of neurotoxic mercury waste

harminka — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 07:02:19 -0500

Mercury is a large component of dental fillings, but it is not believed to pose immediate health risks in that form. When exposed to sulfate-reducing bacteria, however, mercury undergoes a chemical change and becomes methylated, making it a potent, ingestible neurotoxin.

Mercury's shifting, rolling past

harminka — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:19:22 -0500

Patterns of scalloped-edged cliffs or lobate scarps on Mercury’s surface are thrust faults that are consistent with the planet shrinking and cooling with time. However, compression occurred in the planet’s early history and Mariner 10 images revealed decades ago that lobate scarps are among the youngest’ features on Mercury.

Scientists find mercury threatens next generation of loons

harminka — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:47:55 -0600

A long-term study by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the BioDiversity Research Institute, and other organizations has found and confirmed that environmental mercury—much of which comes from human-generated emissions—is impacting both the health and reproductive success of common loons in the Northeast.

Mercury's magnetosphere fends off the solar wind

harminka — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:21:38 -0600

The planet Mercury's magnetic field appears to be strong enough to fend off the harsh solar wind from most of its surface, according to data gathered in part by a University of Michigan instrument onboard NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft.

Europe's Mercury mission swings into action

harminka — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 13:41:57 -0600

The European Space Agency (ESA) signalled the start of a busy period for the planet Mercury, when it signed the contract for industrial development to start for the BepiColombo mission today (18th January 2008) at Astrium in Friedrichshafen, Germany. UK scientists and industry have key roles in BepiColombo, including construction of spacecraft subsystems and science instrument design.

MESSENGER Reveals Mercury in New Detail

harminka — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 03:01:51 -0600

As MESSENGER approached Mercury on January 14, 2008, the spacecraft’s Narrow-Angle Camera on the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) instrument captured this view of the planet’s rugged, cratered landscape illuminated obliquely by the Sun.

MESSENGER flyby of Mercury

harminka — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 08:33:45 -0600

At 2:04 p.m. EST on Monday, MESSENGER skimmed 200 kilometers (124 miles) above the surface of Mercury in the first of three flybys of the planet. Initial indications from the radio signals indicate the spacecraft is still operating nominally.