Eminescu Crater

Centered in this stunning image lies Eminescu crater, illuminated by a bright halo of material around its edge. The ends of a ray system emanating from Xiao Zhao are on the right side of the image. Standing in stark contrast with the low reflectance material within the crater (identifiable as the dark regions on the crater's floor) are bright hollows (identifiable as the bright ring near the crater's center).

Today's image title is in reference to the Cat's Eye Nebula, a well studied, iconic nebula that shares similar features to this image of Eminescu, such as notably the blues, yellows, and spherical shape of the formation.

Date acquired: January 03, 2012
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 234069356, 234069376, 234069360
Image ID: 1218103, 1218108, 1218104
Instrument: Wide Angle Camera (WAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
WAC filters: 9, 7, 6 (996, 748, 433 nanometers) in red, green, and blue
Center Latitude: 10.47°
Center Longitude: 113.8° E
Resolution: 466 meters/pixel
Scale: Eminescu has a diameter 130 km (81 mi)
Incidence Angle: 26.6°
Emission Angle: 23.5°
Phase Angle: 50.2°

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