Comments on: What's Blue, Yellow, and Hot?

What's Blue, Yellow, and Hot?

Xurando — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:33:05 -0800

Messenger has just made another flyover of Mercury, revealing hidden features. Watch the animation to see the blue volcanoes.

By: IvoShandor

IvoShandor — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:36:48 -0800

Phil Plait has the dl. This is not how Mercury actually appears to the naked eye, though i am sure everyone realizes this, maybe not.

By: nax

nax — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:41:49 -0800

IvoShandor do not kill my blue mercury buzz. thank you

By: Artw

Artw — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:46:02 -0800

Yeah, I'm happily chilling to the blueness here while coming down off my mad Steampunk hate-circuit buzz.

By: DU

DU — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:49:09 -0800

Damn, the 8 planet strategy is really paying off. Kudos, Obama!

By: Artw

Artw — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:50:22 -0800

YOU FORGOT PLUTO!

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:56:06 -0800

Am I blue? Am I blue? A second fly by Up in my sky Should tell you.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:58:26 -0800

Blue Volcano Blues I'm like a blue volcano, just as blue as I can be I'm like a blue volcano babe, just as blue as I can be So blue they oughtta send me to the planet Mercury My baby surfs the internet, she looks at planetary views Yeah my baby surfs the internet, she looks at planetary views In space no one can hear you scream and she can't hear me sing these blues I'm leaving in the morning, I'm gonna find a better place I said I'm leaving in the morning, I'm gonna find a better place Gonna find myself a new gal Somewhere out in outer space

By: sonic meat machine

sonic meat machine — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:11:06 -0800

I find it interesting that the quicktime movie works almost as a panorama; you can move the slider back and forth and view the picture however you like.

By: Marisa Stole the Precious Thing

Marisa Stole the Precious Thing — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:17:32 -0800

If I understood the article correctly, they enhanced Mercury's true color spectrum for geological purposes because "color differences on the surface are slight." Shame they blue volcanoes aren't actually real, but this is pretty cool stuff nonetheless.

By: gwint

gwint — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:21:15 -0800

Why do I have a sudden urge to play Xevious?

By: titboy

titboy — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:56:09 -0800

I wonder if Richard Hoagland will spot the giant worm at the end of that video

By: damn dirty ape

damn dirty ape — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:28:39 -0800

Actually that's false color. Mercury actually looks a lot like this more realistic false color photo here.

By: Joey Michaels

Joey Michaels — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:49:22 -0800

I don't know, I always thought Mercury looked good in blue.

By: bwg

bwg — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:04:23 -0800

I'm crazy 'bout a Mercury I'm crazy 'bout a Mercury I'm gonna fly me to Mercury and cruise the blue volcanos

By: nola

nola — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:28:34 -0800

This is cool.

By: Green Eyed Monster

Green Eyed Monster — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:30:20 -0800

neato.

By: StickyCarpet

StickyCarpet — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:43:02 -0800

blue volcanoes In that video, it seems like the bigger the impact crater, the more it is worn and overwritten by smaller craters. I guess everything really was more impressive back in the day.

By: Kronos_to_Earth

Kronos_to_Earth — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:57:51 -0800

Very lovely. Thanks! (And my goodness. The Obamanauts have been very busy indeed....)

By: delmoi

delmoi — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:40:33 -0800

We need a pluto probe. We can't even get good shots of it here on earth.

By: Artw

Artw — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:46:15 -0800

Shh. Do you want to end up in a brain cannister?

By: puke & cry

puke & cry — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:50:13 -0800

In that video, it seems like the bigger the impact crater, the more it is worn and overwritten by smaller craters. I guess everything really was more impressive back in the day. I don't remember the age of mercury but I do know it's very similar to the moon, which had severe asteroid impact until about 4 billion years ago when most asteroids/meteoroids got swept up by the planets.

By: sir_rubixalot

sir_rubixalot — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:43:05 -0800

We need a pluto probe. We can't even get good shots of it here on earth. http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/ Don't fret, it'll be there in 2015. :) Assuming we are still around

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:59:15 -0800

Cool. If you see plateaus instead of craters in the animation, tilt your head to the right. The brain likes things lit from above.

By: rhymer

rhymer — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 06:20:03 -0800

We need a pluto probe Let's probe Uranus too. Thank you, I'm here all week.