NASA probe crashes into Mercury

NASA's Messenger probe ended its mission by crashing into Mercury, after more than four years orbiting the planet.

The Messenger spacecraft took a picture of the surface of Mercury. Photo: NASA

According to NASA, the probe crashed into Mercury at 3:30 p.m. on April 30. Messenger collided with the surface of Mercury at a speed of 14,000 km/h, creating an estimated 15.2 m wide crater on the planet's surface. Telescopes on Earth could not observe this collision because it occurred on the other side of Mercury.

"Ending with an explosive impact on the surface of Mercury is our way of celebrating the successful mission of Messenger. Scientists will continue to analyze archived data to unravel the mysteries of Mercury," UPI quoted John Grunsfeld, NASA's science mission director, as saying.

The Messenger spacecraft was launched into space on August 3, 2004 and arrived at Mercury's orbit on March 17, 2011. Its mission is to observe and study historical and geological information of the planet closest to the Sun.

After more than four years of operation, Messenger has provided valuable data and more than 100,000 images of Mercury. One of the biggest discoveries is a giant ice block in the north polar region, where the sun does not shine.

According to VnExpress