It seems even astronomers at NASA are “Saltburn” fans.
The space agency has posted a stunning recording of Mercury with lyrics from Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s hit ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’.
The 2000 song has become extremely popular thanks to its use in the final scene of the controversial new film starring Barry Keoghan.
NASA said, “It’s Mercury on the dance floor, but you better not kill the groove!”
In the blink of an eye, the planet is seen from four angles and illuminated in multiple colors like a reflective disco ball, including pink, purple, turquoise, yellow and peach.
The mosaic was created by NASA’s Messenger spacecraft, which orbited the planet for four years
NASA posted the photo on social media with the caption “You better not kill the groove,” a lyric from Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s hit “Murder on the Dancefloor.”
Responding to NASA’s message, the British singer said: ‘I’m very proud that my song is featured next to such a beautiful planet.
‘Mercury in Disco Retrograde!’
NASA responded by simply saying, “When our worlds collide!”
Mercury – the planet closest to the sun in our solar system – is rocky and riddled with craters.
When it is visible from Earth (about four times a year, shortly after sunset or before sunrise), it looks like a whitish dot.
If humans could get close enough to the planet, it would appear dark gray due to the thick layer of dust on its surface.
But in this NASA image—taken about a decade ago by NASA’s Messenger spacecraft—Mercury appears multicolored.
That’s because it is an approximation of the different wavelengths of light coming from the planet that the human eye cannot see.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor (pictured) responded to NASA’s message: ‘I’m very proud that my song is featured next to such a beautiful planet. Mercury in Disco Retrograde!
Mercury is one of the two ‘inferior planets’. Inferior planets are planets that orbit closer to the Sun than Earth (the other being Venus). Shown, digital illustration of Mercury
Messenger used his MASCS instrument, which was designed to detect minerals on Mercury’s surface.
“MASCS collects hundreds of different wavelengths of light, ranging from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared, to investigate the mineralogy of Mercury,” NASA says.
‘These spectra are visualized by mapping different wavelengths or combinations of wavelengths in red, green and blue so that the human eye can distinguish them.
“The multicolored ‘fireworks’ are the result of a combination of physical and chemical differences at the surface, including mineralogical diversity and the exposure age of the craters.”
After launching in 2004 and entering Mercutry’s orbit in 2011, Messenger ended its mission in 2015 by flying to the planet’s surface.
Mercury is slightly larger than Earth’s moon and is the smallest planet in the solar system. It is closest to the sun, at an average distance of 58 million kilometers.
Although Mercury may be the smallest planet, it is also the fastest: it moves in its orbit at a speed of almost 47 km per second, making a year on Mercury just 88 Earth days.
The colorful NASA image was taken by NASA’s Messenger spacecraft, which ended its mission in 2015
Mercury is so bumpy on the surface because countless space rocks have hit it at high speed over billions of years.
Although it is the planet closest to the sun, Mercury is not the hottest planet in the solar system.
The second planet, Venus, is hotter – with a sweltering average surface temperature of 870°F (465°C) – thanks in large part to its dense atmosphere.
By comparison, Mercury’s averages 167°C (333°F).
Venus, also rocky, is not only inhospitable but also sterile – with a surface hot enough to melt lead and toxic clouds of sulfuric acid.