missions to mercury
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Then and Now: Our Earliest Close-Ups of the Planets Compared to Today’s Best Shots
For centuries, astronomers were limited to ground-based observations of the planets, but now we use spacecraft to capture close-up views of our neighboring worlds. Excitingly, our views of solar system planets have been getting progressively better over the decades, as these images attest. The dawn of the Space Age finally made it possible for humankind…
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Joint Europe-Japan Space Mission Captures First Flyby Photos of Mercury
A space mission jointly launched by the European and Japanese space agencies has captured its first, up-close look at the planet Mercury.
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Rare Back-to-Back Flybys of Venus Will Happen Next Week
Two spacecraft will fly past either side of Venus next week in the span of just 33 hours. The rare double flyby gives researchers an opportunity to observe the planet from multiple vantage points at nearly the same time.