A US space probe is poised to glide past Mercury to photograph the solar system's smallest planet, in the second of three planned passes, says NASA.
The NASA spacecraft MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging) will pass the innermost planet at an altitude of 201 kilometres with its camera expected to take more than 1200 images of the cratered surface.
MESSENGER, Source: NASAMercury is the closest of all the planets to the Sun, and because of the high-risks of its proximity - the Sun's enormous gravitational pull, and massively high levels of radiation - it is one of the most mysterious bodies in the solar system, even though it is relatively close to Earth.
"The results from MESSENGER's first fly-by of Mercury resolved debates that are more than 30 years old," says Sean Solomon, the mission's principal investigator from the Carnegie Institution of Washington.
"This second encounter will uncover even more information about the planet."
MESSENGER first flew past Mercury in January this year, and will make its final pass in September 2009. By that time it would have orbited the Sun 15 times and covered eight billion kilometres. We found this Story interesting Over ABC So, we put it Over Here!!!
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