A spacecraft has sent back some of the most detailed and breathtaking images of Mercury's north pole, shedding new light on the mysterious, shadowy regions of the small planet closest to the Sun.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - A spacecraft has beamed back some of the best close-up photos yet of Mercury's north pole. The European and Japanese robotic explorer swooped as close as 183 miles (295 ...

The probe's Mercury Laser Altimeter revealed bright material inside deep craters at the north pole with pulses of laser light. The bright patches match up cold spots mapped by a thermal model of ...