· Messenger=Mercury Surface Space Environment , Geo chemistry and ranging
· Launched in 2004
· Has reached mercury recently
· Will rotate around mercury for one earth year
· Mercury takes 176 days to complete one rotation.
· Hence effectively messenger can study the entire surface of mercury twice
· Mercury is one of the 4 rocky planets(Mars, venus, mercury, earth)
o It is the innermost planet in solar system
o Experiences the largest daily temperature variations
· It is he smallest and densest among rockey planets
· Debussy- a large crater near south pole of mercury
o 1st image sent by messenger
· Earlier mission to mercury was mariner-10
EXPECTATIONS FRM MESSENGER
· Find out mercury’s density, geological history, magnetic properties
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