NASA spacecraft maps planet Mercury

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    Mercury's Surface Resembles Rare Meteorites

    These image of Mercury by NASA's Messenger probe show the distinctive color of the planet's northern plains and their surrounding terrain. The top image is as Messenger saw the scene, with the bottom image enhanced to bring out features. Image

    The closest planet to the sun hasn't received as much scientific attention as some of its more flashy solar system neighbors, such as Mars, but NASA's Messenger spacecraft is helping to close the gap. The probe has been in orbit around Mercury since March 2011, and its team announced Feb. 28 that the spacecraft had finished mapping the planet's surface.