New Image Offers First Glimpse At Mercury's Surface (PHOTO)

PHOTO: A First Glimpse At Mercury's Surface

This is the first-ever image of Mercury's surface, taken from orbit.

The shot was captured and at 5:20 a.m. EST Tuesday morning by NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft, which is also the first craft to orbit the solar system's innermost planet. MESSENGER captured an additional 363 images over the course of six hours.

From NASA:

On March 17, 2011 (March 18, 2011, UTC), MESSENGER became the first spacecraft to orbit the planet Mercury. The mission is currently in its commissioning phase, during which spacecraft and instrument performance are verified through a series of specially designed checkout activities. In the course of the one-year primary mission, the spacecraft's seven scientific instruments and radio science investigation will unravel the history and evolution of the Solar System's innermost planet.

More images will be released at 2 p.m. EST on Wednesday during NASA's media teleconference. MESSENGER will be capturing 1,185 additional images over the next three days.

MESSENGER's first image of Mercury is visible below. Visit NASA's website to learn more about the image and the MESSENGER mission.

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