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Planet Mercury
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Planet Mercury
Mariner 10s first image of Mercury acquired on March 24, 1974. During its flight, Mariner 10s trajectory brought it behind the lighted hemisphere of Mercury, where this image was taken, in order to acquire important measurements with other instruments. This picture was acquired from a distance of 3, 340, 000 miles (5, 380, 000 km) from the surface of Mercury. The diameter of Mercury (3, 031 miles; 4, 878 km) is about 1/3 that of Earth. Images of Mercury were acquired in two steps, an inbound leg (images acquired before passing into Mercurys shadow) and an outbound leg (after exiting from Mercurys shadow). More than 2300 useful images of Mercury were taken, both moderate resolution (3-20 km/pixel) color and high resolution (better than 1 km/pixel) black and white coverage
Space Image feature a selection of NASA's incredible imagery
Media ID 635250
© NASA
Jet Propulsion Laboratory Mercury
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This print showcases the first-ever image of Planet Mercury, captured by Mariner 10 on March 24,1974. As the spacecraft embarked on its mission, it strategically positioned itself behind the illuminated hemisphere of Mercury to gather crucial measurements using various instruments. From a staggering distance of 3,340,000 miles (5,380,000 km), this snapshot provides an awe-inspiring glimpse into our neighboring planet's enigmatic beauty. Mercury's diminutive size becomes apparent as we compare its diameter of approximately 3,031 miles (4,878 km) to that of Earth - roughly one-third in scale. The acquisition process involved two distinct stages: an inbound leg before entering Mercurys shadow and an outbound leg after emerging from it. Throughout this journey, Mariner 10 diligently captured over 2300 valuable images of Mercury. The resulting collection includes both moderate-resolution color photographs with a range between 3-20 km per pixel and high-resolution black and white coverage surpassing an impressive resolution better than one kilometer per pixel. These detailed visuals offer scientists invaluable insights into the composition and topography of this mysterious celestial body. Thanks to the efforts of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), we are fortunate enough to witness such extraordinary glimpses beyond our home planet. This remarkable photograph serves as a testament to humanity's insatiable curiosity about the cosmos and our relentless pursuit of knowledge about distant worlds like Mercury.
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