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On October 6, 2008, the MESSENGER spacecraft passed a mere 200 kilometers
(124 miles) above Mercury's surface for the mission's second flyby of its target planet. The flybyıs primary purpose was to use Mercury for a gravity assist, a crucial encounter needed to enable MESSENGER, in 2011, to become the first spacecraft ever to enter into an orbit around Mercury. Though the gravity assist was the top priority for the flyby, MESSENGER's second flyby of Mercury also provided an opportunity to make significant and exciting science observations and measurements.
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Visualization Tool |
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Timeline |
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View a timeline of the many spacecraft and instrument activities planned for the flyby in either a graphical or tabular format. |
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Calendar |
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October 1, 2008, 1 pm EDT:
NASA Media Telecon Previewing the Flyby
October 6, 2008, 4:40:22 am EDT:
MESSENGER's Closest Approach to Mercury
October 8, 2008, 4-5 pm EDT:
Public Talk at APL: "Mercury: from Mariner 10 to MESSENGER" by Prof. Mark S.
Robinson, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University
(RSVP page / PDF flyer)
October 29, 2008, 1 pm EDT:
NASA Science Update with Flyby Results
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Images from the Flyby |
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View images and movies acquired by the MESSENGER spacecraft during its flyby of Mercury. Check back often to see the latest releases as they become available! |
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Animation |
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Watch an animation (17.8 MB or 98.3 MB) of MESSENGER's second flyby of Mercury that shows the instrument observations that occurred during the encounter. (Version without labels: 95 MB) |
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Resources |
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