The pocked and pitted surface of Mercury comes into view in this image from the Messenger spacecraft, taken during its approach on October 6, 2008.

Messenger has one more flyby of Mercury to complete in September of this year before it finally maneuvers into orbit in 2011. It will be the first spacecraft to orbit the innermost planet.

Since its launch Messenger has traveled over three billion miles.

Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington