MESSENGER Mercury Updates.

[h2ouniverse]

An update on New Scientist<br />http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn13200-has-messenger-revealed-lava-flows-on-mercury.html<br />(with opinion from David Rothery)

 

[alokmohan]

Hope it may be terraformed in future.

 

[3488]

Thanks Joel,<br /><br />Very interesting & seems to back up my own interpretations well.<br /><br />During my 'downtime' awaiting my new router, I have had time to properly look <br />at the images returned thus far. I have been able to download images onto disk at work & <br />loaded them onto mine.<br /><br />The image MeteorWayne linked to yesterday, the south polar region, clearly shows <br />smoothish areas. <br /><br />When I am back online properly I will put my crops & enlargements on here.<br /><br />I am certain that Mercury has lava flows, IMO there is absolutely no doubt.<br /><br />In some ways, parts of Mercury, may not look too unlike the giant asteroid 4 Vesta, which of<br />course, is a primary target for the DAWN spacecraft.<br /><br />I am sure we will get to see the NAC images of the regions mentioned in Mercury's <br />northern hemisphere soon. I for one will be examining them very closely.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

You do realize the daytime temperature is 400C and nighttime is around -200C.<br />With no substantial atmosphere possible, terrafroming is not going to happen on Mercury. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

"Mercury - in Color!" <br /><br />Don't expect to be bowled over by the color....it is Mercury <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <br /><br />"MESSENGER’s eyes can see far beyond the color range of the human eye, and the colors seen in the accompanying image are somewhat different from what a human would see.<br /><br />The color image was generated by combining three separate images taken through WAC filters sensitive to light in different wavelengths; filters that transmit light with wavelengths of 1000, 700, and 430 nanometers (infrared, far red, and violet, respectively) were placed in the red, green, and blue channels, respectively, to create this image. The human eye is sensitive across only the wavelength range 400 to 700 nanometers. Creating a false-color image in this way accentuates color differences on Mercury's surface that cannot be seen in the single-filter, black-and-white images released last week."<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

"First MESSENGER Spectrum of Mercury" <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[h2ouniverse]

hi alokmohan,<br /><br />Although one may think about undergound bases close to poles (where avere temp might be not too far from ambient), I cannot see the interest of sending homini sapientes in a relatively hard radiation environment, so deep in Sun's gravity well (delta-v vs Earth 18km/s!!).<br />Energetically speaking, it does not look very effficient... <br /><br />In any case, as MW points out, Mercury is not a good target for terraforming!<br />

 

[h2ouniverse]

Hi Andrew,<br /><br />I hope the "smooth terrain" will point to water ice. (although i'm not extremely optimistic).<br /><br />How paradoxical it would be if Mercury, the "water star" of the Chinese, was among the very few bodies in solar system without H2O...<br /><br />Best regards.

 

[brellis]

Release dates for Data from MESSENGER Camera compiled by Emily Lakdawalla <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[brellis]

That's lame, the data from Flybys 1 and 2 won't be released until April, 2009. Makes ESA seem like a public outreach institution in comparison <img src="/images/icons/mad.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[3488]

Once again MeteorWayne, thank you very much for the very valuable updates.<br /><br />My wife has not long ago phoned me from home. The new router has arrived & <br />my wife has installed it. It works very well, so from tonight, I will be back <br />online properly & hopefully contribute to the Community in a more meaningful manner. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />This post by shuttle_guy sums up pretty well what Mercury would look like to the naked eye <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> .<br /><br />The colours visible on the approach crescent are only visible because of the WAC's incredible <br />spectral range & immense sensitivity. To a human, yes Mercury would be appear monochrome.<br /><br />I wonder what the different 'colours' are telling us. The bluish tinges are interesting <br />around some of the fresher craters. Very interesting image. <br /><br />I hope we get to see similar from what was the Herme Ingognita hemisphere<br />(MeteorWayne term for the newly imaged regions).<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

Hi Joel,<br /><br />I will link my images to this thread later. I seem to be getting better @ the enlargements now. <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br />I would very much doubt that ice is involved, but you never know. I do not know what<br />the temperatures are @ the high latitudes.<br /><br />At the equator they range from +407 Celsius / 680 Kelvin, to about -186 C / 87 Kelvin <br />@ dawn (about the same as Saturn's moon Titan).<br /><br />The permanently shadowed craters may be around -240 C / 33 K (almost as cold as <br />Triton, Pluto & Eris).<br /><br />Mercury sure has the greatest extreme of surface temperatures in the entire Solar System.<br /><br />Our Moon's (equator max +117 C / 390 K, dawn -167 C / 106 K), seem pretty tame as compared. <img src="/images/icons/crazy.gif" /><br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

Hi Brad,<br /><br />I sincerely hope that the MESSENGER team change their minds over that decision.<br /><br />I wonder if they just mean the ENTIRE collection. So far, their releases have been good @ least<br />one new image every day, sometimes more.<br /><br />I hope with the Monday 6th October 2008 encounter, they release the crescent<br />images on approach, as they will show most of what has not been seen yet (taking the <br />coverage of Mercury from 75% now to about 95% then).<br /><br />Mercury will be facing the other way during the October encounter, so I really hope, they will not<br />hold ALL images close to their chests then.<br /><br />Tonight I will phone them.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[ckikilwai]

"That's lame, the data from Flybys 1 and 2 won't be released until April, 2009. Makes ESA seem like a public outreach institution in comparison"<br /><br />You don't need to bash ESA that hard, IIRC pictures of Rosetta's flyby of Mars were released within a week.<br /><br />The color image is cool, so it is gray after all, I remember I read some books about our solar system when I was 10, and they always colored it brown!<br />I also remember the pictures were always partial, I couldn't imagine back then that I would see pictures of the rest of the surface only a couple days after they were taken!<br />

 

[3488]

Today's update.<br /><br />Matisse Crater.<br /><br />Looks like one release today.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Keep your eyes open.<br />Yesterday, the releases came about 15 minutes apart. <br /><br />Oh, and PS, craters on craters on craters on craters <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[brellis]

hi chikilwai<br /><font color="yellow">You don't need to bash ESA that hard, IIRC pictures of Rosetta's flyby of Mars were released within a week. </font><br /><br />yea, I know, I was dredging up an old peeve for a dry joke. ESA has gotten much better at outreach/PR in the past year. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[h2ouniverse]

Hi Andrew,<br /><br />On our moon, you get some very cold temperatures <70K.<br />That's going t be an issue for potential rovers there btw<br />(some missions envisaged)

 

[3488]

Hi Joel,<br /><br />Yes I was aware of that in the permanently shadowed craters.<br /><br />I used the average temperatures on the lunar equator, but the shadowed polar areas, yes I<br />am certainly aware of temperatures being below -200 C.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

Hi MeteorWayne,<br /><br />As you can guess, I'm back online @ home (SDC members logging off in droves).<br /><br />I was not aware of that, so yes I could catch one update, but miss the other, <br />till later when I look again.<br /><br />Cropped & enlarged section of lava filled crater, with flows & scarps on previously<br />unimaged hemisphere on Mercury. The crop is approx 70 KM wide.<br /><br />Enlargement of one smoothish area near Mercury's South Pole.<br /><br />I had another go with the Crater Chain near Mercury's South Pole.<br /><br />Enlargement of the 210 KM wide Matisse Crater from today's update.<br /><br />Also this interesting 300 KM wide smoothish area, a lava filled impact crater, <br />to the immediate west of Matisse Crater.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

One nteresting fature of Mercury as opposed to the Moon is that the lava flooded areas do not look noticeably darker than the surrounding terrain. presumably this is because they are all basaltic in compostion, rather than dark basalt and light anorthosite.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[3488]

Hi Jon,<br /><br />That is my take on it also. The entire surface of Mercury appears to be composed of the same<br />basaltic rock all over.<br /><br />I guess this is due to the differentation in its youth, when all of the heavier elements sank<br />to form the giant core.<br /><br />There does appear to be a little variation in the colour image released so far, but generally the<br />same greyish basalt appears to be everywhere, despite differing geological units on the surface.<br /><br />So far approx 75% of Mercury has been seen in detail (45% Mariner 10, 30% MESSENGER),<br />so already, IMO it should be possible to start drawing up a more detailed <br />Mercury geological history. Global coverage will be near enough complete, come the <br />October encounter, when we get to see the vast majority of what remains unimaged,<br />during the approach this time (Mercury will be facing the other way then).<br /><br />But my take is, that the basalt does make up the Hermean surface. Perhaps the WAC<br />mutispectral images, will throw this cosy picture out of the window, but I do not think so.<br /><br />Also will be interesting to get to see the multispectral data of the Caloris & Skinakas Basins.<br /><br />I wonder how similar Mercury is to, if we peeled Venus & Earth back to the same size?????<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

Today's update (assuming there is only one). <br /><br />Counting Mercury's Craters.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Interesting in that shot it's lots of craters, not craters on craters on craters that we've seen elsewhere.<br /><br />Counting them all will take a loooooooong time! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

That's very true. <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br />I like your geological assessments on Mercury, either its:<br /><br />1). Craters on craters on craters, <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br />or<br /><br />2). Lots of craters. <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br />But it's very true though.<br /><br />Today's image looks like to me an area of a lava flooded crater, that has since been <br />whacked a few hundred times.<br /><br />Talking of counting craters, I remember, the initial assessments made of asteroid<br />951 Gaspra, shortly after the Galileo spacecraft encounter & already <br />over 600 craters had been identified. <br /><br />How big is 951 Gaspra compared to Mercury?????<br /><br />The hills though are interesting. I would like to see the same image, but without the coloured circles<br />to try & see what those hills are. I wonder if they are ancient cinder cones???????<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>