Of the four inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars), Mercury is the smallest, the most dense, has the largest daily variations in surface temperature, and has been the least explored. The MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) spacecraft, launched in 2004, is the first to ever orbit the planet closest to the Sun.
MESSENGER began orbiting Mercury on March 18, 2011 with the purpose of collecting data that will help planetary scientists understand Mercury, which will help scientists understand how all the planets in our Solar System formed and evolved. After four years of studying Mercury, engineers will deliberately crash MESSENGER onto the surface of Mercury in March 2015.
Check out the resources below for activities and programming ideas for exploring the Solar System, particularly the MESSENGER mission to Mercury.
PERSEID METEOR SHOWER
August 12 & 13, 2016
OSIRIS-REX LAUNCHES TO BENNU
September 2016
INT'L OBSERVE THE MOON NIGHT
October 8, 2016
