The first images Images from NASA's MESSENGER, an acronym for
MErcury Surface Space Environment, GEochemistry and Ranging spacecraft
(They seem determined to come up with smart acronyms) mission toMercury were released this week. and scientists have found it was not the planet they expected (Scientists always seem to be saying things like that) There has been a change in the magnetic field since the Mariner flybys in 1974-75, and they have no idea why.
The Suns Magnetic field would no doubt do some churning considering how close Mercury is to it.
In 2011 after a few more flybys, MESSENGER would have lost enough speed to slip into orbit around Mercury, and become Mercury's first artificial satellite (first satellite?)