Mercury

Overview

The closest planet to the sun, Mercury is a harsh planet that experiences light, heat and radiation at ten times the strength as Earth. Temperatures are extreme with 800 degrees Fahrenheit on the hot side and minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit on the cold side. NASA scientists working on Messenger, a mission to Mercury that is now closing in on the planet, tell host Basil Singer that it's not all bad news. The latest evidence shows that near the planet's poles, there may be water ice lurking in deep craters - something vital for the survival of future space pioneers.