Mercury's Surface Variety

This area, previously unseen during the Mariner 10 and MESSENGER flybys, was captured by MESSENGER's Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) in orbit. The view presents both contrasting albedo materials as well as contrasting terrain types. The image includes smooth plains along the left edge and a more rugged surface to the right. A 23-km-diameter impact crater sits between exposures of low reflectance material (LRM) to the east and patches of high albedo material to its west.

Date acquired: July 13, 2011
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 219009759
Image ID: 497191
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: 8.93°
Center Longitude: 91.56° E
Resolution: 180 meters/pixel
Scale: The large crater in this image is approximately 23 km (14 mi) in diameter.
Incidence Angle: 42.8°
Emission Angle: 3.0°
Phase Angle: 39.8°

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