Space Topics: Mercury
The Year in Pictures: 2009
Filling in the Gaps at Mercury
Last wide-angle shot of Mercury before flyby 3
MESSENGER captured this image of Mercury on approach to its third flyby, at about 19:47 on September 29, 2009.
Credit: NASA / JHUAPL / CIW
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MESSENGER accomplished its third and final gravity-assist flyby of Mercury on September 29, 2009. The maneuver put MESSENGER on course to enter orbit
and begin its primary science mission in March 2011. While the navigation was
spot-on, the spacecraft hiccuped just before closest approach, entering safe
mode and ending science observations. But MESSENGER performed enough science
on approach to fill in the largest remaining gap in MESSENGER's map of Mercury
and to confirm a surprising finding from an earlier flyby, that Mercury's
surface rocks contain more iron than previously thought.
Area of Mercury newly seen during MESSENGER's 3rd flyby
The red line outlines the five percent of Mercury's surface not before imaged by spacecraft. MESSENGER gathered high-resolution images of this region on approach to its third flyby, on September 29, 2009.
Credit: NASA / JHUAPL / CIW
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Map of Mercury after MESSENGER's third flyby
Following MESSENGER's final Mercury flyby before entering orbit, the map coverage of Mercury is nearly complete. Mariner 10 mapped about 45% of the planet (green outline). MESSENGER covered another 20% on its first flyby (blue outline). The second flyby nailed 25% more (red outline). The most recent flyby filled in another 5%, including the the last missing piece of the equator and mid-latitudes. Now only 5% of the planet remains unmapped, most of it poleward of 60° north and south latitude.
Credit: NASA / JHUAPL / CIW
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