The Messenger space probe has found what looks like a smiley in a crater on Mercury. Credit: NASA.

The space probe Messenger is in orbit around the planet Mercury and has found a somewhat funny crater on the planet. As seen in the picture above, it does indeed look as if the crater is a giant smiley face.

A NASA statement:

“It looks like even the craters on Mercury have heard of Bob Ross! The central peaks of this complex crater have formed in such a way that it resembles a smiling face. This image is oriented so north is toward the bottom.”

“The MESSENGER spacecraft is the first ever to orbit the planet Mercury, and the spacecraft’s seven scientific instruments and radio science investigation are unraveling the history and evolution of the Solar System’s innermost planet. Visit the Why Mercury? section of this website to learn more about the key science questions that the MESSENGER mission is addressing. During the one-year primary mission, MESSENGER acquired 88,746 images and extensive other data sets. MESSENGER is now in a yearlong extended mission, during which plans call for the acquisition of more than 80,000 additional images to support MESSENGER’s science goals.”

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http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html
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