Astronomy Picture of the Day · March 31, 2011

MESSENGER at Mercury

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for March 31, 2011 is “MESSENGER at Mercury,” an image. It is credited to Credit: NASA / JHU APL / CIW. The original explanation runs about 110 words.

From the explanation

“On March 17, the MESSENGER spacecraft became the first to orbit Mercury, the solar system’s innermost planet . This is its first processed color image since entering Mercury orbit.”

— APOD editors, March 31, 2011

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: March 31, 2011
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: NASA / JHU APL / CIW
Copyright: No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 110 words

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On this day: March 31 in other years

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Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, March 31, 2011 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2011-march-31-messenger-at-mercury

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.