NASA: Mercury is home to violent magnetic storms
July 18th, 2010 - 9:31 pm ICT by Aishwarya Bhatt
Washington DC, July 18 (THAINDIAN NEWS) According to NASA’s latest findings on Mercury, there is a violent magnetic storm on the smallest planet in the solar system.
According to NASA, the activity was recorded by its Messenger spacecraft. The activity was first seen in September and it has lasted more in duration than what was being expected. During the Messenger’s flyby in last September, it made a crucial discovery in the form of the planet’s magnetic field.
The magnetic field also termed as Magnetosphere releases violent magnetic energy called substorms that disturbs its surroundings.
NASA released the Messenger in 2004. The spacecraft would orbit round Mercury again in 2011. Through the Messenger’s data back to NASA, NASA has been able to study the planet more. Among the knowledge NASA has gathered about the planet is whether the planet has Volcanoes or not.
NASA has documented its findings in three papers. The first paper talks about the planet’s magnetosphere’s tail, the second paper talks about Volcanoes on Mercury and the third paper talks about the composition of Mercury’s surface. The third paper also talk about how matter moves about on the planet and the forces that are responsible for it.
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Tags: composition, discovery, duration, flyby, last september, magnetic energy, magnetic field, magnetic storm, magnetic storms, magnetosphere, mercury, messenger spacecraft, nasa, paper talks, smallest planet, solar system, substorms, surroundings, volcanoes, washington dc