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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Photo: New Mercury Images Show Volcanoes, Magnetic Field, More


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Mercury's surface is seen in an image taken by NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft during a January 2008 flyby—the first close-up examination of the solar system's innermost planet in decades.

Detailed analyses of the pictures, released in July 2008, revealed that the planet has volcanoes, may contain a liquid core, and has suffered dramatic geologic collapses in the past.

Image by NASA/APL