For any science/space buffs out there, there are some really great shots from Messenger - doing a fly-by of the planet Mercury.

This is a pic of the previously unseen side:

Hi res shots here: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/scienc...hp?gallery_id=2

Makes me wish I followed into the science field. I find it so amazing now that I am older.

yeah, i used to want to be an astronomer, ~10 years ago. still fascinated with it though

Astronomy has always fascinated me.

The University of Toronto is trying to sell of the land that the observatory sits on.

The Royal Ontario Museum used to have a planetarium, but now it is mothballed and they are trying to put up a 45 storey condo there.

I think video games and Star Trek Next Generation killed interest for a lot of young 'uns for astronomy. How's that for irony? I mean, who wants to crawl to Mercury when Captain Picard has been half-way across the galaxy and back!

I used to be a big astronomy freak. I once fancied myself to be an astrophysicist one day (now I can barely spell it!), until I realized in grade 12 calculus that my math stank to high hell. Still, one of my class mates is a big shot physicist/lawyer working in California, and another of my buddies is a hot shot SF writer.

Sigh, if only I had kept up my studies, kept my willy in my pants and stayed in university.

I so wish I could see planets in space! I love this stuff... I think it's beautiful. I just wish there were color images!

I love anything to do with astronomy Something about space and other planets fascinates me and it appears I'm not the only one on here who thinks that way.