Observations of Mercury during the recent flyby of the MESSENGER mission have
delivered new high-resolution images of the planet's surface, and a range of
exciting discoveries will undoubtedly be made in the next five years of close
exploration. However, ground-based studies since 1975, when Mercury was last
visited by a spacecraft, have provided us with important insights into its
surface composition, textural properties, tenuous atmosphere, polar deposits,
and state of its core. This talk will focus on what we presently know about
the surface properties of this elusive and sun-drenched end-member planet, as
well as future opportunities to reveal its mysteries with ground- and
space-based intrumentation.
