Water ice photos were taken on Mercury for the first time by NASA's MESSENGER.
Observations were made 20-years-ago that suggested there may have been water ice on the planet closest to the sun, but those obervations were never confirmed until MESSENGER snapped pictures of it recently.
Researchers studying the crater called Prokofiev, which is the largest depression in the planet's north pole, were examining pictures taken by MESSENGER when they noticed water ice in the crater, reports BBC.
Scientists found it particularly interesting that the water ice appeared to be geologically young, reports Universe Today. Before the recent pictures scientists predicted that the water ice was much older.
This discovery should help scientists learn more about the other planets in space, including Earth.
"If you can understand why one body looks one way and another looks different, you gain insight into the process that's behind it, which in turn is tied to the age and distribution of water ice in the solar system," says lead researcher Nancy Chabot tells Universe Today. "This will be a very interesting line of inquiry going forward."
NASA's MESSENGER is the second spacecraft in history to enter Mercury's orbit. It's celebrating its 13th year in space.
The research was published in the journal Geology.
