Mercury Jan 14 2008 - Mercury Jan 14 2008 A recent photo of the planet Mercury, closest planet to the Sun, by the NASA spacecraft Messenger. The Messenger spacecraft is approaching the planet just prior to its 1st flyby of the planet. It will pass only 200 miles above the surface, this will slow the spacecraft a little, this is required for the spacecraft to enter Mercurian orbit on March 18, 2011. Image courtesy, NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington.