On January 14, the MESSENGER spacecraft (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, Geochemistry, and Ranging) flew by Mercury and took a unique picture showing a side of the planet we have never seen. The image shown was taken 18 minutes after close approach, when MESSENGER was about 3,000 miles away from the planet. The image is about 125 miles across.Launched in the summer of 2004, the MESSENGER spacecraft is expected to go into orbit around Mercury in 2011 after a 4.9-billion mile journey that includes 15 trips around the sun. MESSENGER is only the second spacecraft sent to Mercury - Mariner 10 flew past it three times in 1974-75.
