MESSENGER MAG: Interplanetary Magnetic Field Measurements in RTN Coordinates
Updated 2mo ago
4filesBIN
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Description
High-resolution magnetic field vectors collected by the MESSENGER spacecraft's magnetometer during its cruise phase to Mercury, typically at 0.5 s or 1.0 s intervals. The mission, operated by NASA, aimed to study Mercury's surface, magnetic field, and environment. The nominal primary mission was planned to end in March 2012.
Use Cases
Model Mercury's magnetosphere based on high-resolution magnetic field vectors.
Analyze interplanetary magnetic field dynamics during spacecraft cruise based on RTN coordinate data.
Study magnetic field perturbations near Mercury using calibrated three-axis samples.
Correlate spacecraft position data with magnetic field readings to map spatial variations.
Strengths
High temporal resolution, with samples typically at 0.5 s or 1.0 s intervals and sometimes as fine as 0.05 s.
Calibrated three-axis magnetic field samples in heliospheric RTN coordinates (Br, Bt, Bn).
Magnetometer has ±1530 and ±51300 nT ranges with 20-bit internal resolution.
Limitations
Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
Data format is BIN, which may require specialized tools for access and analysis.
Provenance
Source
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Collection Method
Data collected by the MESSENGER spacecraft's magnetometer instrument mounted on a 3.6 m boom.
Time Range
Cruise phase data; nominal primary mission planned to end in March 2012.
Freshness
Last updated 2026-03-13 09:17:33.897536; freshness should be verified.
Geography
Interplanetary space during cruise to Mercury and orbital measurements around Mercury.
License is 'other-license-specified'; specific terms must be reviewed before use.