Comments on: MESSENGER flies by Mercury tonight!

By: «bønez_brigade»

«bønez_brigade» — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:55:12 +0000

I think a few of the close-ups were from the previous flyby, but at least two pics were definitely from the current flyby. They’ve added more, but then Phil has already blogged about that (as I am obviously behind in responding).

By: StevoR

StevoR — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:58:39 +0000

Okay thanks Bonez (sorry can’t do the Danish is it ‘o’) I’m waiting eagerly & as y’may have noticed checkinghere alot too – but what about all the photos appearing on their site???

Are they all just from the first fly-by or something?

By: «bønez_brigade»

«bønez_brigade» — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:42:32 +0000

From the MESSENGER site’s news update:

“Tomorrow [10/7] at 1:14 a.m. EDT, the spacecraft will turn its high-gain antenna back toward Earth to start down-linking the data stored onboard. The first pictures from the flyby will be released around 10:00 a.m. on October 7, 2008.”

By: LukeL

LukeL — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:42:20 +0000

I am studying geology and would love to be a solar system geologist, but don’t want to study Mars like everyone else, looks like we will finally have a complete map of mercury in the near future.

By: Brian Hodges

Brian Hodges — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:35:23 +0000

Is this a good idea to do right now? I mean, Mecury’s in retrograde!

By: StevoR

StevoR — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:07:41 +0000

Right well the links working!

Six hours and twenty minutes since closest approach now – and still no written news updates but the photos are scrolling through (Not all loading on my machine – I’m just on dial-up.) and one of them says something like ‘Volcano on Mercury!’ :-D

(Yes I’m pleased to hear it! Wonder if its the one suggested by Arecibo data which I’ve mentioned here earlier?)

There’s also Caloris basin in colour & Mercurey’s Sodium tail … & more. Great!

Now if only we could have some explanatory accompanying text with these images …

By: StevoR

StevoR — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:55:30 +0000

Six hours past closest approach – and still waiting for a written news update although there are some great images screening slide-show fashion on their site.

Have linked the MESSENGER site to my name – click on my name to go to Mercury! Or at least to the website of the spaceprobe that’s heading there.

Read there (FAQ’s) that the MESSSENGER spacecraft will impact Mercury at the end of its mission – wonder if there’s any chance they could soft-land it on the Mercurian surface the way the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft did on asteroid Eros?