A NASA probe has begun beaming back stunning new images from its successful second flyby of Mercury, the planet closest to the sun. NASA's MESSENGER probe captured never-before-seen views of the Mercury during its encounter on Monday. picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago

A whole new side of Mercury has been revealed in pictures taken by NASA's MESSENGER probe, which flew by the tiny planet two weeks ago in the first mission to Mercury in more than three decades. The photos, released today, include one of a feature the scientists informally call "the spider," which appears to be an impact crater surrounded by more than 50 cracks in the surface radiating f... read full post picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Scientists are sifting through their first new views of the planet Mercury in more than three decades thanks to images beamed home by NASA's MESSENGER probe. The car-sized spacecraft zipped past Mercury in a Monday flyby and is relaying more than 1,200 new images and other data back to eager scientists on Earth. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

The planet Mercury we were led to believe in, a cold, dark and dead place, is the furthest thing from the truth. NASA's Messenger orbiter is sending thrilling details of a vibrantly active globe filled with magnetic tornadoes, gigantic volcanoes and something called a plasma funnel that I cannot wait to find out more about. picked by equinox 7 months ago

Craters come in all shapes and sizes, some more bizarre than others. Recent photos of Mercury have revealed two new categories of crater that scientists are puzzling over how to explain. When NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft flew by the planet Jan. 14 it snapped pictures of several craters with strange dark halos and one crater with a spectacularly shiny bottom. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

The solar system's smallest planet has been shrinking at an unexpected rate, researchers announced on Thursday.

When NASA's Mariner 10 probe flew by Mercury in 1974 and 1975, it returned images of strange cliffs called 'scarps' that cut across all sorts of geological formations. That suggested that the planet's surface has contracted over time. picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago

MESSENGER's two flybys of Mercury in 2008 have greatly increased the portion of the planet's surface that has been imaged by spacecraft, from approximately 45% coverage obtained by Mariner 10 to about 90% coverage following the second flyby.

This significant increase in imaging coverage is enabling global studies of Mercury's surface for the first time. picked by AutumnLotus 7 months ago

Minnesota apparently is the first state in the nation to ban intentionally added mercury in cosmetics, giving it a tougher standard than the federal government.

Go Minnesoooota. picked by muppet 2 years ago

Mercury accumulates as it moves up the food chain from bacteria to fish to people. Not a threat, though. picked by misswinkle 2 years ago

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory is sending a spacecraft closer to the sun than any probe has ever gone – and what it finds could revolutionize what we know about our star and the solar wind that influences everything in our solar system. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Recent laboratory tests found so much mercury in tuna sushi. picked by willster09 2 years ago

The toxic substance was found in every fish sampled, a finding that underscores how widespread mercury pollution has become. picked by Bornbad 3 months ago

Christ almighty!! What a bunch of idiots we let run the show...
Who would have thought Mercury was bad for you?
Corky: Me! Me! Dear God, MEEE!! picked by fugazi 2 years ago

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. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Using a fancy version of a common chef's trick, scientists have discovered that Mercury's core may be partially molten, making it a little more Earth-like than once thought. picked by AutumnLotus 3 years ago

Nasa's New Horizons spacecraft, launched from Earth just over a year ago, is heading for a close encounter with the giant planet Jupiter. "Jupiter's just a waypoint to take us to our ultimate destination, which is, of course, the planet Pluto."

The pass will provide the first close-up look at Jupiter and its moons since the Galileo mission, which reached the planetary system in 1995. picked by 2manyusernames 3 years ago

6-part BBC special on Queens front man, Freddie Mercury. picked by 2manyusernames 3 years ago

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D) has backed off his stated plan to probe ACORN for illegal actions. He claims "the powers that be" forced him to drop the probe picked by 2manyusernames 5 months ago

There has been a great deal of debate as to whether mercury (especially that found in vaccines) is linked to an increase in childhood autism. Here's a new article supporting that claim. picked by hypnotode 3 years ago

Using a NASA radar flying aboard India's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, scientists are getting their first look inside the moon's coldest, darkest craters, where some suspect ice may be hiding. picked by AutumnLotus 10 months ago