The elusive planet Mercury reaches its furthest point from the sun on Friday (Jan. 12), with this separation allowing skywatchers a rare chance to spot the tiny planet.

Mercury could have a thick underground layer of diamonds, scientists say. Some of the stones may have found their way to the surface, according to a recent study.

The spacecraft’s closest approach of 295 km took place on the planet’s night side at 06:59 CET. In this view, Mercury’s terminator, the boundary between day and night, divides the planet in two.

A layer of diamonds up to 18 kilometers (11 miles) thick could be tucked below the surface of Mercury, the solar system's smallest planet and the closest to the sun, according to new research.

This is one of a series of images taken by the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission on 8 January 2025 as the spacecraft sped by for its sixth and final gravity assist manoeuvre at the planet. Flying over ...

New images of Mercury's surface have been released by the ESA, taken by the BepiColombo mission as it passed close to the planet's surface.

A layer of diamonds up to 18 kilometers (11 miles) thick could be tucked below the surface of Mercury, the solar system's smallest planet and the closest to the sun, according to new research.

A layer of diamonds up to 18 kilometers (11 miles) thick could be tucked below the surface of Mercury, the solar system's smallest planet and the closest to the sun, according to new research.