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View of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center tower at sunset

One museum, two locations

Visit us in Washington, DC and Chantilly, VA to explore hundreds of the world’s most significant objects in aviation and space history. Free timed-entry passes are required for the Museum in DC.

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Apollo 11: Buzz Aldrin on the Moon

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space shuttle launch

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Women in Aviation and Space Family Day

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Bob Hoover Gives an Air Show Performance

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A Color View of the Solar System's Innermost Planet - Mercury

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  3. A Color View of The Solar System's Innermost Planet - Mercury
  • A Color View of the Solar System's Innermost Planet  - Mercury
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     As MESSENGER approached Mercury for the mission's third and final flyby of the solar system's innermost planet, the WAC acquired images through all 11 of its narrow-band color filters. The 1,000, 700, and 430 nanometer filters were combined in red, green, and blue to create this color image, the last close-up color view that was acquired before MESSENGER went into orbit around Mercury in March of 2011. Only 6 percent of Mercury's surface in this image had not been viewed previously by spacecraft, and most of the measurements made by MESSENGER's other instruments during this flyby were made prior to closest approach. The observations from MESSENGER's third flyby of Mercury nonetheless revealed fresh surprises.

  • A Color View of the Solar System's Innermost Planet  - Mercury

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NASA-PIA12365

Source:

NASA/JPL

Copyright:

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Rights Usage:

Contact NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Terms of Use:

Smithsonian Terms of Use
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National Air and Space Museum

6th St. and Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20560

202-633-2214

Open daily
10:00 am - 5:30 pm
Free Timed-Entry Passes
Required

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway
Chantilly, VA 20151

703-572-4118

Open daily
10:00 am - 5:30 pm
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