See rainbow-colored images from Mercury

Mary Bowerman | USA TODAY Network

If Mars is the red planet, Mercury could take the title for 'rainbow planet,' according to new images released by NASA.

The pictures were taken by the space probe MESSENGER, short for — Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging.

Mercury doesn't always look this flashy.

The planet is usually an inky color, but the images from NASA are mapped out in psychedelic colors to give space enthusiasts everywhere a chance to clearly see the planet's surface.

The rainbow-colored appearance in the pictures can be explained by a system that captures spectral data about the planet's surface and exosphere.

That data was overlain onto a monochrome mosaic, and an instrument was able to map rugged landforms and craters on the planet's surface in an array of colors, according to a statement from NASA.

The spacecraft is the first to orbit Mercury. It started to orbit in March 2011. The craft has taken more than 250,000 images.

More than a decade after its launch, MESSENGER could crash into Mercury's surface any day. NASA predicted MESSENGER will crash into the planet nearest the sunApril 30 at more than 8,700 mph.

NASA has been tweeting from the MESSENGER account about the final leg of its life, and by all means it has "been a wonderful and exciting trip."

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