NASA Spots Mysterious 'Spider' on Mercury

NASA Spots Mysterious 'Spider' on Mercury ^ | 30 January 2008, 3:54 pm ET | Clara Moskowitz

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

The Narrow Angle Camera of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) on the MESSENGER spacecraft obtained high-resolution images of the floor of the Caloris basin on January 14, 2008. Near the center of the basin, an area unseen by Mariner 10, this remarkable feature, nicknamed "the spider" by the science team, was revealed. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington

[rfp1234]

[Scythian]

That picture looks totally natural, not sure what the hubub is ...

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Oops, I accidentally pasted the article title in place of the source name, but the source link to Space.com does work.

[Hot Tabasco]

Looks like an “outie” bellybutton to me. Are they sure one of their fat geeks isn’t having fun with the copy machine????

[the invisib1e hand]

yeah, but it sure will tweak the weak.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

It looks like the cornea of an eye.

There is a huge monster lying just beneath the surface of Mercury, and now it saw our ship and knows we are near.

It will soon begin moving toward earth to feed!

[shaft29]

Whoa! Look in the right top corner and you can see a Walmart.

[Clarinet_King]

Really astounding pic. I’ve always loved looking at things like this. Do you have the source with anymore of these photos?

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Nope, I just linked to the pic at the source link. But nasa.gov probably has more pics.

[Boiler Plate]

I thought the spiders were from Mars.

[Clarinet_King]

Thanks a lot, I’ll take a look.

[Roccus]

Freepmail sig226 and ask him to put you on the "Astronomy Picture of the Day" ping list. Well worth it.

[Hoffer Rand]

Big deal. When they find the giant foot that mashed it, then they’ll have something to brag about.

[Doohickey]

Are you kidding me? This discovery makes Mercury the first “outie” discovered in the solar system!

[Califreak]

He’s come to a sticky end
Don’t think he will ever mend
Never more will he crawl ‘round
He’s embedded in the ground

Boris the spider
Boris the spider

[henbane]

[Boiler Plate]

David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust

Ziggy played guitar, jamming good with Wierd and Gilly,
The Spiders from Mars.
He played it left hand, but made it too far,
Became the special man, then we were Ziggy’s Band.

[pillut48]

Looks like conception!!

[MrPiper]

Looks more like a bug on my windshield.