Table of Contents
- 1 What three planets have the Mariner probes gone to?
- 2 What did the probes find on Mercury?
- 3 What was the goal of Mariner 10?
- 4 How was the planet Mercury discovered?
- 5 How many photographs did Mariner 10 take of mercury and Venus?
- 6 When was the Mariner 10 space probe launched?
- 7 Why did Mariner 10 have to fly past Mercury?
What three planets have the Mariner probes gone to?
Between 1962 and 1973, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory designed and built 10 spacecraft named Mariner to explore the inner solar system — visiting the planets Venus, Mars and Mercury for the first time, and returning to Venus and Mars for additional close observations.
What did the probes find on Mercury?
The probe detected Mercury’s magnetic field, which is very similar to Earth’s. This was a surprise to scientists, because Mercury spins so slowly on its axis. Secondly, visual data was provided, which showed the high number of craters on the surface of the planet.
What happened to the Mariner 10?
The spacecraft ran out of its nitrogen fuel on March 24, 1975. Scientists turned off its transmitters, and communication with Earth ceased. Mariner 10 continues to orbit the sun, but solar radiation has probably scorched its equipment.
What was the goal of Mariner 10?
The primary goal of the Mariner 10 was to study the atmosphere (if any), surface and physical characteristics of Mercury. Soon after leaving Earth orbit, the spacecraft returned striking photos of both Earth and the Moon as it sped to its first destination, Venus.
How was the planet Mercury discovered?
It is not known exactly when the planet was first discovered – although it was first observed through telescopes in the seventeenth century by astronomers Galileo Galilei and Thomas Harriot. Mariner 10 launched in 1973 and imaged around 45% of the planet’s surface from 1974 until its end of mission in March 1975.
What is Saturn’s description?
Saturn is a gas giant made up mostly of hydrogen and helium. Saturn’s volume is greater than 760 Earths, and it is the second most massive planet in the solar system, about 95 times Earth’s mass. The Ringed Planet is the least dense of all the planets, and is the only one less dense than water.
How many photographs did Mariner 10 take of mercury and Venus?
The system returned about 7,000 photographs of Mercury and Venus during Mariner 10’s flybys. The infrared radiometer detected infrared radiation given off by the surface of Mercury and the atmosphere of Venus, from which the temperature could be calculated.
When was the Mariner 10 space probe launched?
Mariner 10 was an American robotic space probe launched by NASA on November 3, 1973, to fly by the planets Mercury and Venus. It was the first spacecraft to perform flybys of multiple planets.
What was the name of the spacecraft that flew by Venus and Mercury?
Mariner 10 was an American robotic space probe launched by NASA on 3 November 1973, to fly by the planets Mercury and Venus. It was the first spacecraft to perform flybys of multiple planets.
Why did Mariner 10 have to fly past Mercury?
The flyby past Mercury posed major technical challenges for scientists to overcome. Due to Mercury’s proximity to the Sun, Mariner 10 would have to endure 4.5 times more solar radiation than when it departed Earth; compared to previous Mariner missions, spacecraft parts needed extra shielding against the heat.