Comments on: MESSENGER’s third tryst with Mercury http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/10/08/messengers-third-tryst-with-mercury/ 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. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:46:56 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: PLutonium being from Pluto http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/10/08/messengers-third-tryst-with-mercury/comment-page-1/#comment-219068 PLutonium being from Pluto Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:18:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=5825#comment-219068 Thankyou BA! I was hoping we'd hear something about this from you & glad to see this here. Belated thanks. :-) PS. I still can't post on here from my home computer. Sigh. :-( @ 13. Jess Tauber Says: <i> I’ve heard that Mercury has a much thinner crust than the other rocky planets- how far down is it supposed to be before you hit metal? Miner’s paradise? </i> Probably not as much as some iron & mineral rich asteroids but perhaps yeah. My understanding is that Mercury is especially dense and this indicates its lost mostof its outer layers in a major impact - maybe the one that formed the Caloris basin? If memory serves about two-thirds or 70 % of the planet is made of its iron-nickel core. It'd be a pretty hostile environment for mining although I guess ideal for solar power! I can certainly see Mercury being colonised after Mars and the asteroids and ahead of the more distant planets and more hostile (understatement!) Venus. @ 16 mike burkhart : <i> Mercury is a problem its so close to the sun that its hard to see in the sky it only appers shortly before the sun rises or after the sun sets and then only for a short time I’ve only seen mercury a few times myslef </i> Well according to a possibly apocryphal but also quite plausible story the great Copernicus <i>(the guy who first realised the Earth goes round our Sun not vice-versa) </i> <u>*Never*</u> saw Mercury in his whole life so you're doing better than him! ;-) (In that regard anyhow.) - aka StevoR Thankyou BA!

I was hoping we’d hear something about this from you & glad to see this here.

Belated thanks. :-)

PS. I still can’t post on here from my home computer. Sigh. :-(

@ 13. Jess Tauber Says:

I’ve heard that Mercury has a much thinner crust than the other rocky planets- how far down is it supposed to be before you hit metal? Miner’s paradise?

Probably not as much as some iron & mineral rich asteroids but perhaps yeah.

My understanding is that Mercury is especially dense and this indicates its lost mostof its outer layers in a major impact – maybe the one that formed the Caloris basin? If memory serves about two-thirds or 70 % of the planet is made of its iron-nickel core. It’d be a pretty hostile environment for mining although I guess ideal for solar power!

I can certainly see Mercury being colonised after Mars and the asteroids and ahead of the more distant planets and more hostile (understatement!) Venus.

@ 16 mike burkhart :

Mercury is a problem its so close to the sun that its hard to see in the sky it only appers shortly before the sun rises or after the sun sets and then only for a short time I’ve only seen mercury a few times myslef

Well according to a possibly apocryphal but also quite plausible story the great Copernicus (the guy who first realised the Earth goes round our Sun not vice-versa) *Never* saw Mercury in his whole life so you’re doing better than him! ;-)

(In that regard anyhow.)

- aka StevoR

]]> By: mike burkhart http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/10/08/messengers-third-tryst-with-mercury/comment-page-1/#comment-218903 mike burkhart Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:44:29 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=5825#comment-218903 One more thing Mercury is a problem its so close to the sun that its hard to see in the sky it only appers shortly before the sun rises or after the sun sets and then only for a short time I've only seen mercury a few times myslef the only advice I can give is to look for a bright star in the east shortly before the sun rises (you might confuse it with venus venus is brighter)or in the west after the sun sets . a star chart planspher or astronomy sofware can help some online star charts show the positions of the planets and are updated daly One more thing Mercury is a problem its so close to the sun that its hard to see in the sky it only appers shortly before the sun rises or after the sun sets and then only for a short time I’ve only seen mercury a few times myslef the only advice I can give is to look for a bright star in the east shortly before the sun rises (you might confuse it with venus venus is brighter)or in the west after the sun sets . a star chart planspher or astronomy sofware can help some online star charts show the positions of the planets and are updated daly

]]> By: Gonzo http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/10/08/messengers-third-tryst-with-mercury/comment-page-1/#comment-218798 Gonzo Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:50:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=5825#comment-218798 Man, Phil, I don't comment enough on the photos you post but they are always awe-inspiring things of beauty. They quite often make my day. Thanks. Man, Phil, I don’t comment enough on the photos you post but they are always awe-inspiring things of beauty. They quite often make my day. Thanks.

]]> By: American Voyager http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/10/08/messengers-third-tryst-with-mercury/comment-page-1/#comment-218792 American Voyager Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:35:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=5825#comment-218792 Amazing! I was beginning to loose hope that we would ever see the "other" side of Mercury. It seemed like everyone had lost interest. now in a quick two years, all the blanks are pretty much filled in. They were worth the wait! Amazing! I was beginning to loose hope that we would ever see the “other” side of Mercury. It seemed like everyone had lost interest. now in a quick two years, all the blanks are pretty much filled in. They were worth the wait!

]]> By: Jess Tauber http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/10/08/messengers-third-tryst-with-mercury/comment-page-1/#comment-218754 Jess Tauber Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:53:05 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=5825#comment-218754 I've heard that Mercury has a much thinner crust than the other rocky planets- how far down is it supposed to be before you hit metal? Miner's paradise? Jess Tauber I’ve heard that Mercury has a much thinner crust than the other rocky planets- how far down is it supposed to be before you hit metal? Miner’s paradise?

Jess Tauber

]]> By: DGKnipfer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/10/08/messengers-third-tryst-with-mercury/comment-page-1/#comment-218663 DGKnipfer Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:40:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=5825#comment-218663 Cool Pics. You do know that PZ scooped you on the latest Saturn findings, right? What's up with that BA? Squid boy is horning in on your turf. Cool Pics.

You do know that PZ scooped you on the latest Saturn findings, right? What’s up with that BA? Squid boy is horning in on your turf.

]]> By: OrionHntr http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/10/08/messengers-third-tryst-with-mercury/comment-page-1/#comment-218647 OrionHntr Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:16:26 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=5825#comment-218647 Kewl pics, mate. I rotated the smiley face and have that as my wallpaper. BTW...does this mean the Comedian was also an astronaut? Kewl pics, mate. I rotated the smiley face and have that as my wallpaper. BTW…does this mean the Comedian was also an astronaut?

]]>