mercury

While not as rare as the 0.1 degree alignment between Jupiter and Saturn from 18 days ago, we still have the opportunity between Saturday (January 9) and Monday (January 11) to get another look at something remarkable taking place in the sky above us.

We've made contact with Mercury, the planet closest to the sun. This photograph—which was taken yesterday, March 29, 2011 at 5:20am EDT—shows the surface of the innermost planet of the Solar System with unprecedented detail. It was taken by NASA's Messenger, the first human-made spaceship to orbit this tiny, battered, and scorched rock.