MESSENGER: Exploring Mercury - The Innermost Planet

Explore the innermost planet through the MESSENGER mission in this AGU Fall Meeting 2011 Shoemaker Lecture. Delve into Mercury's surface composition, topography, gravity field, and internal structure. Examine the planet's magnetic field, geological history, and unique features like pyroclastic deposits and smooth plains. Investigate the mysterious hollows, impact craters, and polar regions, including potential water ice deposits. Learn about Mercury's hyperdynamic exosphere and its magnetosphere. Gain insights into how our understanding of Mercury has evolved through MESSENGER's observations and measurements, challenging previous assumptions about the planet's characteristics and formation.

Introduction
Remembering Gene Shoemaker
Mercury
Messenger
Surface Composition
Mercurys Quest
Footprints
Compositional differences
Sensitivity to elements
Sulfur
Gamma Ray Spectrometer
Mercurys Potassium
Mercurys Temperature
Mercurys Silicates
Mercurys Topography
Mercurys Gravity Field
Mercurys Crust
Mercurys Interior Structure
Hoax Calculations
Models
Internal Magnetic Field
Mercurys Magnetic Field
Mercurys Magnetic equator
geological history
pyroclastic deposits
smooth planes
continuous plains
proximal plains
lavas
potassium
northern plains
plains
tectonics
Hollows
Characteristics
Impact Crater
Polar Region
South Pole
Water Ice
Hyperdynamic exosphere
Species in the exosphere
Dayside observations
Nightside observations
Nightside measurements
Magnetosphere snapshots
Charged particles
energetic electrons
Mercury has changed
Questions