By Ranjan Bhaduri
Washington, Nov. 6, (THAINDIAN NEWS) The NASA’s Mercury venture has given another insight to the scientists regarding the allegedly densest planet in our system. NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft, which took its final (third) flyby of the planet on 29th September gave a complete view of its surface. In order to enter into Mercury’s orbit (in 2011), the probe has now succeeded in completing an important “gravity assist”, so that it can remain on course. The solar eclipse had caused a “power system switchover”, which proved to be temporary. The spacecraft has now collected several “high resolution and color images” that has brought in view another 6% of the planet’s surface, visible at a very close range.

Now, NASA has 98% of the total Mercury’s surface in its view. The only areas of Mercury which are not under observation are the polar regions, which will come in view in 2011, when MESSENGER goes into orbit around the planet. The final flyby also revealed an area on Mercury, that is very bright and is surrounded by an “irregular depression”. This is suspected to be a volcanic region. Alongside, another image depicting a 180 mile long “double ring impact basin”, was also revealed. This basin is quite similar to the “Raditladi basin”.

The mercury’s atmosphere has also been observed in this flyby. It showed how the atmosphere of Mercury “varies with its distance from the sun”. Iron and titanium are found in abundance on the planet and this has been revealed through MESSENGER. Now the scientists say that, “the planet has average iron and titanium abundance that is higher than most of us expected, similar to some lunar basalts.”