Comments on: MESSENGER images Venus http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/06/15/messenger-images-venus/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Sat, 10 Jan 2009 04:54:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: StevoR http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/06/15/messenger-images-venus/#comment-38566 StevoR Mon, 10 Sep 2007 03:39:06 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/06/15/messenger-images-venus/#comment-38566 Or volcanism? Took three years of French @ high school and about all I can remember is that they call their swimming pools "piss-ins" & yoplait is Not "French for yoghurt"as yaourt is ... There was only one previous mission to Mercury - Mariner (10?) in about the 1960's-70s - which flew past a couple of times but didn't map the entire surface. So there are unknown areas there that may surprise us with at least one group suggesting there maybe a sizeable volcano there yet to be discovered. (Source : 'Astronomy Now' magazine : "10 mysteries of the Solar system." At work now so can't list exact month, author etc ..) Incidentally, smallest planet is debateable. Counting the dwarfs as we should (after all we count dwarf stars as stars too!) Ceres is the smallest planet. ;-) Or volcanism?

Took three years of French @ high school and about all I can remember is that they call their swimming pools “piss-ins” & yoplait is Not “French for yoghurt”as yaourt is …

There was only one previous mission to Mercury - Mariner (10?) in about the 1960’s-70s - which flew past a couple of times but didn’t map the entire surface. So there are unknown areas there that may surprise us with at least one group suggesting there maybe a sizeable volcano there yet to be discovered. (Source : ‘Astronomy Now’ magazine : “10 mysteries of the Solar system.” At work now so can’t list exact month, author etc ..)

Incidentally, smallest planet is debateable. Counting the dwarfs as we should (after all we count dwarf stars as stars too!) Ceres is the smallest planet. ;-)

]]> By: Lyle Gaulding http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/06/15/messenger-images-venus/#comment-38565 Lyle Gaulding Mon, 18 Jun 2007 17:17:18 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/06/15/messenger-images-venus/#comment-38565 As I understand it any molten metal on the surface of Mercury would graduall seep doiwn into the substrate, so there would be none on the serface unless there was a planet quake As I understand it any molten metal on the surface of Mercury would graduall seep doiwn into the substrate, so there would be none on the serface unless there was a planet quake

]]> By: icemith http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/06/15/messenger-images-venus/#comment-38564 icemith Mon, 18 Jun 2007 14:40:55 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/06/15/messenger-images-venus/#comment-38564 Gary: Love the *shift* 2 @ 10:09am. Is this the same shift that Phil has just undertaken? At @0 days ago? (+/- a few days). Ivan. Gary: Love the *shift* 2 @ 10:09am.

Is this the same shift that Phil has just undertaken?
At @0 days ago? (+/- a few days).

Ivan.

]]> By: Mark Martin http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/06/15/messenger-images-venus/#comment-38563 Mark Martin Sat, 16 Jun 2007 16:32:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/06/15/messenger-images-venus/#comment-38563 DenverAstro, The reason for placing an orbiter about Mercury -even though we already have some photos from a previous probe- is for the same reason why orbiters have been placed about several other planets, such as Venus, Mars, Jupiter & Saturn. Fly-by missions have literally only a period of minutes to swing in close, take some photos, and then leave the planet forever. An orbiter has the opportunity to map the entire planet for a variety of parameters, using instruments which are orders of magnitude improved over those which were on the fly-by probe way back in the early 1970s. DenverAstro,

The reason for placing an orbiter about Mercury -even though we already have some photos from a previous probe- is for the same reason why orbiters have been placed about several other planets, such as Venus, Mars, Jupiter & Saturn. Fly-by missions have literally only a period of minutes to swing in close, take some photos, and then leave the planet forever. An orbiter has the opportunity to map the entire planet for a variety of parameters, using instruments which are orders of magnitude improved over those which were on the fly-by probe way back in the early 1970s.

]]> By: DenverAstro http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/06/15/messenger-images-venus/#comment-38562 DenverAstro Sat, 16 Jun 2007 14:18:07 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/06/15/messenger-images-venus/#comment-38562 In my astro photos folder, I have some pictures of Mercury. They are fairly detailed and show a planet heavily cratered...not a big deal. Since we already have photos of Mercury, what is the primary mission for Messenger? Im not sure I have read anything about it and Im interested in what they expect to learn that we dont already know? In my astro photos folder, I have some pictures of Mercury. They are fairly detailed and show a planet heavily cratered…not a big deal. Since we already have photos of Mercury, what is the primary mission for Messenger? Im not sure I have read anything about it and Im interested in what they expect to learn that we dont already know?

]]> By: Gary Ansorge http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/06/15/messenger-images-venus/#comment-38561 Gary Ansorge Fri, 15 Jun 2007 18:09:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/06/15/messenger-images-venus/#comment-38561 Berlzebub: Piker. @0 years is so YOUNG. I had French in 1962. Fortunately, the French teacher WAS French, a graduate of the Sorbonne, so my accent is pretty good, though I've managed to forget most of my vocabulary. Perhaps next time I visit France, I'll have the chance to recall some of that,,, Will Messenger make good photos of the surface? Might be able to see molten rivers of lead,,,that would be cool,,,er,,,,hot,,, Maybe we'll spot Darth Vader taking a swim,,, Gary 7 Berlzebub: Piker. @0 years is so YOUNG. I had French in 1962. Fortunately, the French teacher WAS French, a graduate of the Sorbonne, so my accent is pretty good, though I’ve managed to forget most of my vocabulary. Perhaps next time I visit France, I’ll have the chance to recall some of that,,,

Will Messenger make good photos of the surface? Might be able to see molten rivers of lead,,,that would be cool,,,er,,,,hot,,,
Maybe we’ll spot Darth Vader taking a swim,,,

Gary 7

]]> By: Jasini http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/06/15/messenger-images-venus/#comment-38560 Jasini Fri, 15 Jun 2007 17:57:15 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/06/15/messenger-images-venus/#comment-38560 The pictures of Mercury will be cool? Somehow I'd think they'd be hot. The pictures of Mercury will be cool? Somehow I’d think they’d be hot.

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