In addition, to provide a check on the total incident extreme UV flux to the spectrometer, two zero-order channels were flown. The objective grating airglow spectrometer was flown to measure airglow radiation from Venus and Mercury in the spectral range from 20.0-170.0 nm. Isolated spectral bands at approximately 75 nm (FWHM) were also measured. Pinholes defined the effective field of view of the instrument which was 0.15 degree full width at half maximum (FWHM). The fluxes were measured at 47.0, 74.0, 81.0, and 89.0 nm using channel electron multipliers. The occultation spectrometer had a plane grating which operated at grazing incidence. When the sun was obscured by the limbs of the planet, the occultation spectrometer measured the extinction properties of the atmosphere. Īboard Mariner 10, 'he extreme ultraviolet spectrometer consisted of two instruments: an occultation spectrometer that was body-fixed to the spacecraft and an airglow spectrometer that was mounted on the scan platform. 'ltraviolet observations by Mariner 10 provided evidence for the presence of H and He in the atmosphere (~10 11 and 10 12 atoms cm -2 respectively 3'. ''The similarity between the constituents of these meteorites and Mercury's surface leads us to believe that either Mercury formed via the accretion of materials somewhat like the enstatite chondrites, or that both enstatite chondrites and the Mercury precursors were built from common ancestors,' Weider said.' Ultraviolets 'The surface is dominated by minerals high in magnesium and enriched in sulfur, making it similar to partially melted versions of an enstatite chondrite, a rare type of meteorite that formed at high temperatures in low-oxygen conditions in the inner solar system.' 'Now, 205 measurements of Mercury's surface composition, made by the X-ray spectrometer onboard Messenger, reveal how much Mercury's surface differs from those of other planets in the solar system.' 'he Mercury encounter (M I) by Mariner 10 on 29 March 1974 occurred during the height of a Jovian electron increase in the interplanetary medium.' X-rays Electron populations similar to those found in the earth’s magnetotail, within the plasma sheet and adjacent regions, were observed at Mercury both their spatial location and the electron energy spectra within them bear qualitative and quantitative resemblance to corresponding observations at the earth.'

The average distance from the center of Mercury to the subsolar point of the magnetopause is ∼ 1.4 planetary radii. The magnetosphere of Mercury appears to be similar in shape to that of the earth but much smaller in relation to the size of the planet. The BESA measurements 'show that the planet interacts with the solar wind to form a bow shock and a permanent magnetosphere. Mariner 10 had three encounters with Mercury on March 29, 1974, September 21, 1974, and on March 16, 1975. some of the solar wind plasma parameters such as ion bulk speed, electron temperature, and electron density. y taking into account distortion and the spacecraft sheath characteristics. Mariner 10 has aboard 'one backward facing electron spectrometer (BESA). 'During large solar flares, the region near Mercury may be strongly illuminated with solar neutrons.' Įlectron astronomy The neutron spectrometer on the MESSENGER spacecraft 'etermines the hydrogen mineral composition to a depth of 40 cm by detecting low-energy neutrons that result from the collision of cosmic rays and the minerals. Flattening: 110 MeV and are therefore able to hit the surface of Mercury.' Neutron astronomy This is an image of the neutron spectrometer aboard the MESSENGER spacecraft in orbit around Mercury.Physical characteristics This is a model for the internal structure of Mercury: Longitude of ascending node: 48.330541°.Some information about the planet Orbital characteristics

Mercury planet