One week ago, the MESSENGER spacecraft transmitted to Earth the first high-resolution image of Mercury by a spacecraft in over 30 years since the three Mercury flybys of Mariner 10 in 1974 and 1975.

Beginning Nov. 25, 2025, Mercury will be far enough west to peek above the horizon just before sunrise. Venus will also be naked-eye-visible as a bright point of light but you’ll want a telescope or a ...

Mercury is a planet that just doesn't make sense. It's incredibly small yet hosts a relatively massive core. Mercury is so strange that astronomers have not been able to explain its properties with ...

Mercury, the first planet from the Sun - The Forgotten Planet. With the search for life beyond Earth primarily focusing on Mars and the rest of the solar system, it’s easy to forget about the small ...

View of planet Mercury from space. Space, nebula and planet Mercury. This image elements furnished by NASA. A few evenings ago I found myself in a remote layby in Utah close to Canyonlands National ...

Mercury’s image problem is fading. On Jan. 14, NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft flew within 200 kilometers of the solar system’s smallest—and oft-ignored—planet. The craft viewed one crater-pocked ...

Planet-hunters are in luck this month, as multiple “wandering stars” take the stage for a beautiful celestial ballet. Mercury, the innermost planet, even promises to put on a spectacular evening ...

One week ago, NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft transmitted to Earth the first high-resolution image of Mercury by a spacecraft in over 30 years, since the three Mercury flybys of Mariner 10 in 1974 and ...