http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/jul/HQ_M08128_MESSENGER_update.html

J. D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-5241
j.d.harrington@nasa.gov

Paulette Campbell
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md.
240-228-6792
paulette.campbell@jhuapl.edu

July 1, 2008

MEDIA ADVISORY : M08-128


NASA to Reveal New Discoveries from Mercury


WASHINGTON -- NASA will host a media teleconference Thursday, July 3, at 2 p.m. EDT, to discuss analysis of data from the Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft's flyby of Mercury earlier this year.

The spacecraft is the first designed to orbit the planet closest to the sun. It flew past Mercury on Jan. 14, 2008, and made the first up-close measurements since Mariner 10's final flyby in 1975.

Analyses of the data show volcanoes were involved in the formation of plains. The data also suggest the planet's magnetic field is actively produced in its core. In addition, the mission has provided the first look at the chemical composition of Mercury's surface. The results will be reported in a series of 11 papers published July 4 in a special section of Science magazine.

The teleconference participants are:
- Marilyn Lindstrom, program scientist, NASA Headquarters
- Sean Solomon, principal investigator, Carnegie Institution of Washington
- James W. Head III, professor of geological sciences, Brown University, Providence, R.I.
- William McClintock, senior research associate, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder
- Thomas H. Zurbuchen, associate professor, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Reporters may access the embargoed science press package materials by registering with EurekAlert! at www.eurekalert.org and e-mailing scipak@aaas.org to expedite their registration. Once registered, they may log in directly at:

http://www.eurekalert.org/jrnls/sci/


To participate in the teleconference, reporters in the United States should call 1-888-455-3616 and use the passcode "messenger." International reporters should call 1-517-623-4705. Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live at:

http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio


When the briefing begins, related images will be available at:

http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/news_room/index.php

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"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

Hopefully I'll hear it in Spanish and in English tonight during supper and dishwashing. Dark and early tomorrow morning I hope to see the results in detail in the paper.

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哈哈，希望地球人早日发现地外文明。

哈哈，希望地球人早日发现地外文明。

先に説明できるのですか

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"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

Here's a link to the NASA news page:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/messenger/main/index.html

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"Good against remotes is one thing. Good against the living, that's something else." (Han Solo)

Here's a link to the NASA news page:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/messenger/main/index.html

Thanks Sparrow

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"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

These findings should be very interesting. I believe Mercury would be the only other inner planet to have a molten core or a magnetic field. And I wonder if we might find heavy elements to be much more common on Mercury than on earth?

Messenger will make two more passes, one in Oct 2008 and another in Sept 2009, and the ESA has a joint mission with Japan in the pipeline.

I just read that a mission to Mercury requires more fuel than a mission to leave the solar system completely! Makes sense, when you think about it. The trip is downhill all the way, and you have to shed all the energy if you want to do anything but just zoom past.

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"Good against remotes is one thing. Good against the living, that's something else." (Han Solo)

Thanks Sparrow,

Very interesting info and theories.

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"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss