Sunrise Near the South Pole

Today's image features a large area near the south pole of Mercury. On the right side of this image, going from top to bottom are both the Terror Rupes and Eltanin Rupes. In the middle of the right edge is Alver, a peak-ring crater. Below Alver is Disney, a crater named after the animator Walt Disney.

Date acquired: June 16, 2014
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 45232494, 45232490, 45232488
Image ID: 6510119, 6510117, 6510116
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: -83.00°
Center Longitude: 40.17° E
Resolution: 2988 meters/pixel
Scale: This image is 1585 km (985 miles) across.
Center Incidence Angle: 85.3°
Center Emission Angle: 14.1°
Center Phase Angle: 99.4°

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

Disney Crater

MESSENGER went viral in 2012 when it spotted Mickey Mouse on Mercury! The largest of this coincidental collection of craters (Mickey's head), seen towards the top of this image, was recently named in honor of American film maker, actor, animator Walt Disney (1901-1966). North is down in this image.

Date acquired: July 20, 2011
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 219617891
Image ID: 525880
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: -66.68°
Center Longitude: 101.7° E
Resolution: 309 meters/pixel
Scale: Disney crater is approximately 113 km (70 mi.) in diameter.
Incidence Angle: 66.9°
Emission Angle: 33.6°
Phase Angle: 100.6°

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