Image: Countdown to MESSENGER's Closest Approach with Mercury
Quote:
Today, January 14, 2008, at 19:04:39 UTC (2:04:39 pm EST), MESSENGER will experience its closest approach to Mercury, passing just 200 kilometers (124 miles) above the planet's surface. As the MESSENGER spacecraft continues to speed toward Mercury, the Narrow Angle Camera, part of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) instrument, acquired this crescent view of Mercury. The image was taken on January 13, 2008, when the spacecraft was at a distance of about 760,000 kilometers (470,000 miles) from Mercury. Mercury is about 4880 kilometers (about 3030 miles) in diameter, and the smallest feature visible in this image is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) across.
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Image acquired on January 13, 2008, 06:34 UTC.
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12 hours to first Mercury flyby
Closest approach
January 14, 2008, 11:04:39 PST
January 14, 2008, 14:04:39 EST
January 14, 2008, 19:04:39 UTC