Messenger mission reveals surprises on — and inside — Mercury
Wednesday, March 21, 2012 - 20:30
in Astronomy & Space
NASA's Messenger spacecraft finds evidence that Mercury has unexpected inner layers and lopsided craters. The planet also appears to have been geologically active well beyond its early years.The smallest planet in the solar system keeps serving up big surprises. Scientists working on the Messenger mission to Mercury have found that the planet has unexpected inner layers and craters with tilted bottoms, and it may have been geologically active far later into its life than previously imagined.