NASA is poised to take a closer-than-ever look at the closest planet to the sun. The space agency’s Messenger spacecraft will zoom over Mercury’s surface in the wee hours of the morning on Monday, coming within 124 miles of the rocky ground. The move marks NASA’s second scan of the surface in its first mission to Mercury in decades. Messenger made one other swipe earlier this year, in January, coming within about 150 miles of the planet. It’s expected to uncover even more new images and information in this next, closer go-round.
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NASA Craft to Make Second, Closer Swing Past Mercury
Posted by: JR Raphael October 2, 2008 11:18 AMNASA is poised to take a closer-than-ever look at the closest planet to the sun. The space agency’s Messenger spacecraft will zoom over Mercury’s surface in the wee hours of the morning on Monday, coming within 124 miles of the rocky ground. The move marks NASA’s second scan of the surface in its first mission to Mercury in decades. Messenger made one other swipe earlier this year, in January, coming within about 150 miles of the planet. It’s expected to uncover even more new images and information in this next, closer go-round.