above the surface of the solar system's innermost planet. The gravity assist maneuver is part of what will be the probe's eight-year voyage to enter orbit around Mercury, helping to reduce the ...

This question will likely be answered once the probe is fully operational in 2026. Another intriguing discovery involves the detection of cold ions at Mercury's surface, such as oxygen, sodium, and ...

"The sun's magnetic field is key to understanding the dynamic nature of our home star from the smallest to the largest scales ...

Mariner 10 launched in 1973 and imaged around 45% of the planet's surface from 1974 until its end of mission in March 1975. MESSENGER was launched in 2004 and entered Mercury's orbit in 2011, making ...

The probe will orbit the sun "close enough to pass inside a solar eruption, like a surfer diving under a crashing ocean wave," NASA said.

A Planet in Contraction and Its Battle Scarps While missions to explore the moon's surface are numerous, the same cannot be said for Mercury. However, older observations continue to unveil the ...