UNDERSTANDING THE PLANET MERCURY Thirty years have elapsed since the one and only mission to Mercury, Mariner 10, performed three ?ybys of the planet, capturing moderate-reso- tion (100 m at best) images of one hemisphere (45% of the surface) and d- covering that Mercury could be the only other terrestrial planet to have a global magnetic ?eld and core dynamo analogous to the Earth's. At the time of this writing, the MESSENGER mission to Mercury has been launched. We are still a couple of years away from the ?rst of the next ?ybys of Mercury, by MESSENGER, on its way to insertion into a nearly polar, but highly ellip- cal, orbit, seven years from launch. In the interim, a plethora of ground-based observations has been providing information on hitherto unseen aspects of Mercury's surface and exosphere. Furthermore, Mariner 10 data have been analyzed and reanalyzed as the technology for modeling and image processing has improved, leading to important breakthroughs in our understanding of Mercury and its environment. Thus, we are writing this book with the realization that we are in a time of transition in our understanding of the planet Mercury. Of particular interest to us in this book is the emerging picture of Mercury as a very dynamic system, with interactions between interior, surface, exosphere, and magne- sphere that have in?uenced and constrained the evolution of each part of the system.
We are in a time of transition in our understanding of Mercury. Of particular interest here is the emerging picture of the planet as a system, with interactions between interior, surface, exosphere, and magnetosphere that have influenced and constrained the evolution of each part of the system. Previous books have emphasized the results of Mariner 10 and current ground-based measurements, with very little discussion of the nature and influence of the magnetosphere. This book will present the planet in the context of its surroundings, thus providing a foundation for the next major influx of information from Mercury and contributing to the planning for future missions.
From the reviews:
"Dynamic Planet is a landmark publication, clearly detailing observations and theories of Mercury and its environment and setting the scene for future work. Every chapter is concise and clearly focused, and the text is complemented by a series of well-selected illustrations. This excellent book will populate the shelves of many scientists interested in Mercury or involved in missions to the planet." (Alan Wood, EOS, Vol. 90 (21), May, 2009)
