Mendelssohn Impact Basin Rim

This image shows a southern portion of the Mendelssohn impact basin. The smooth plains in the top (north) half of the image contrast sharply with the rugged, heavily cratered geological unit that forms the basin rim. The smooth plains were formed by eruption of highly fluid lavas that covered the basin floor. The Sun was low on the horizon when the image was captured, and the resulting shadows reveal the presence of ridges in the plains that mark the rims of impact craters buried by the lavas.

Date acquired: December 05, 2011
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 231567383
Image ID: 1097256
Instrument: Wide Angle Camera (WAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
WAC filter: 7 (748 nanometers)
Center Latitude: 67.16°
Center Longitude: 99.57° E
Resolution: 95 meters/pixel
Scale: The scene is about 124 km (77 mi.) across.
Incidence Angle: 86.3°
Emission Angle: 37.5°
Phase Angle: 123.9°

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